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Why did ancient civilizations fail? / Scott A. J. Johnson.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2017Description: xiii, 293 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781629582832 (pbk.)
  • 9781629582825 (hbk.)
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 930.1 JOH 23 010628
Online resources:
Contents:
1. Introduction: Social Hubris -- 2. Why Agriculture? -- 3. The Environment -- 4. Case Study: The Maya -- 5. Agricultural Systems -- 6. Case Study: Mesopotamia -- 7. Trade Systems -- 8. Case Study: Rome -- 9. Social Organization -- 10. Case Study: Egypt -- 11. Unexpected Catastrophes -- 12. Case Study: Aztec and Inca -- 13. Where This Leaves Us.
Scope and content: "Ideas abound as to why certain complex societies collapsed in the past--environmental change, subsistence failure, fluctuating social structure, lack of adaptability. Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail? evaluates the current theories in this important topic and discusses why they offer only partial explanations of the failure of past civilizations. This engaging volume offers a new theory of collapse, that of social hubris. Through an examination of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Roman, Maya, Inca, and Aztec societies, Johnson persuasively argues that hubris has blinded many ancient peoples to evidence that would allow them to adapt, and that this has implications for contemporary societies. Comprehensive and well-written, this volume serves as an ideal text for undergraduate courses on ancient complex societies, as well as appealing to the scholar interested in societal collapse"--Provided by publisher.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Book Book Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bangalore 930.1 JOH 010628 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 010628

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-289) and index.

1. Introduction: Social Hubris -- 2. Why Agriculture? -- 3. The Environment -- 4. Case Study: The Maya -- 5. Agricultural Systems -- 6. Case Study: Mesopotamia -- 7. Trade Systems -- 8. Case Study: Rome -- 9. Social Organization -- 10. Case Study: Egypt -- 11. Unexpected Catastrophes -- 12. Case Study: Aztec and Inca -- 13. Where This Leaves Us.

"Ideas abound as to why certain complex societies collapsed in the past--environmental change, subsistence failure, fluctuating social structure, lack of adaptability. Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail? evaluates the current theories in this important topic and discusses why they offer only partial explanations of the failure of past civilizations. This engaging volume offers a new theory of collapse, that of social hubris. Through an examination of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Roman, Maya, Inca, and Aztec societies, Johnson persuasively argues that hubris has blinded many ancient peoples to evidence that would allow them to adapt, and that this has implications for contemporary societies. Comprehensive and well-written, this volume serves as an ideal text for undergraduate courses on ancient complex societies, as well as appealing to the scholar interested in societal collapse"--Provided by publisher.

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