{"product_id":"the-power-of-ritual-in-prehistory-secret-societies-and-origins-of-social-complexity-hardback-9781108426398","title":"The Power of Ritual in Prehistory; Secret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity (Hardback) 9781108426398","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eThe Power of Ritual in Prehistory\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eSecret Societies and Origins of Social Complexity\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSecret societies in tribal societies turn out to be key to understanding the origins of social inequalities and state religions.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eBrian Hayden (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781108426398, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 13 September 2018\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e410 pages, 64 b\/w illus.  4 maps\u003cbr\u003e26.1 x 18.4 x 2.3 cm, 1.03 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'This is a strong book and a fascinating account of practices … It gives us clear examples of secret societies in a variety of cultures and helps us get an appreciation for how they might have functioned in the past as well as how this undermines perceived notions of the role of religion in ancient societies.' Joanne M.A. Murphy, American Journal of Archaeology\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eThe Power of Ritual in Prehistory is the first book in nearly a century to deal with traditional secret societies from a comparative perspective and the first from an archaeological viewpoint. Providing a clear definition, as well as the material signatures, of ethnographic secret societies, Brian Hayden demonstrates how they worked, what motivated their organizers, and what tactics they used to obtain what they wanted. He shows that far from working for the welfare of their communities, traditional secret societies emerged as predatory organizations operated for the benefit of their own members. Moreover, and contrary to the prevailing ideas that prehistoric rituals were used to integrate communities, Hayden demonstrates how traditional secret societies created divisiveness and inequalities. They were one of the key tools for increasing political control leading to chiefdoms, states, and world religions. Hayden's conclusions will be eye-opening, not only for archaeologists, but also for anthropologists, political scientists, and scholars of religion.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e1. The secret\u003cbr\u003e Part I. The New World: 2. The complex hunter\/gatherers of the American Northwest\u003cbr\u003e 3. California\u003cbr\u003e 4. The American Southwest and Mesoamerica\u003cbr\u003e 5. Plains secret societies\u003cbr\u003e 6. The Eastern woodlands and others\u003cbr\u003e Part II. The Old World: 7. Oceania\u003cbr\u003e 8. Chiefdoms in Central Africa\u003cbr\u003e 9. West Africa\u003cbr\u003e Part III. Implications For Prehistory: 10. Archaeological applications\u003cbr\u003e 11. Conclusions.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Prehistoric archaeology [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Prehistoric archaeology\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Prehistoric%20archaeology%20%5BHDDA%5D%22\"\u003eHDDA\u003c\/a\u003e], Archaeology [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Archaeology\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Archaeology%20%5BHD%5D%22\"\u003eHD\u003c\/a\u003e], History of the Americas [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on History of the Americas\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22History%20of%20the%20Americas%20%5BHBJK%5D%22\"\u003eHBJK\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45909193949464,"sku":"9781108426398","price":96.37,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/products\/9781108426398i_0d23a0b7-a990-45f9-a062-00194e9902bd.jpg?v=1696695081","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/the-power-of-ritual-in-prehistory-secret-societies-and-origins-of-social-complexity-hardback-9781108426398","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}