The Prehistory of Power: Archaeological Visions of the Political
This seminar examines the prehistory of power as seen in archaeological approaches to political life. We will consider the impact of political theory on archaeology and the reverberations of archaeological research upon modern regimes and revolutions. Our focus will be on a critical analysis of the central concepts orienting archaeologies of the political, including complexity, civilization, authority, sovereignty, and power. Readings will draw broadly from a global set of cases in order to provide a foundation for comparison. We will engage with theory from both within archaeology and outside it in order to establish the broad inter-disciplinary parameters for investigations of the prehistory of power. And we will also consider the power of archaeology itself to shape political action in the contemporary moment.
This new anthropology course will be taught in Fall 2021.
4 credits
F 9:05 - 11:00 am
Instruction mode: planned for in person
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