Rome and the Classic Maya

Comparing the Slow Collapse of Civilizations

Rebecca Storey, Glenn R Storey (Autoren)

Buch | Softcover

292 Seiten

2017
Left Coast Press Inc (Verlag)
978-1-62958-458-4 (ISBN)

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In this detailed comparative study, Rebecca and Glenn Storey examine the cultural changes marking the fall of two well-known ancient complex societies: the Classical Maya and the Ancient Roman Empire. Utilizing the concept of slow collapse, the authors show how the two experienced comparable problems that ultimately led to the parallel processes of decline despite their cultural dissimilarities.

This volume compares two of the most famous cases of civilizational collapse, that of the Roman Empire and the Classic Maya world. First examining the concept of collapse, and how it has been utilized in the historical, archaeological and anthropological study of past complex societies, Storey and Storey draw on extensive archaeological evidence to consider the ultimate failure of the institutions, infrastructure and material culture of both of these complex cultures.

Detailing the relevant economic, political, social and environmental factors behind these notable falls, Rome and the Classic Maya contends that a phenomenon of “slow collapse” has repeatedly occurred in the course of human history: complex civilizations are shown to eventually come to an end and give way to new cultures. Through their analysis of these two ancient case studies, the authors also present intriguing parallels to the modern world and offer potential lessons for the future.

Rebecca Storey is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Houston. Her research focuses on the bioarchaeology of Maya populations in ancient Mesoamerica. Glenn R. Storey is Associate Professor of Classics and Anthropology at the University of Iowa. His research interests include Mediterranean archaeology, Roman demography and the economy of the Roman Empire.

1 The Concept of Slow Collapse

2 The “Flood” of Catastrophe Books and Rethinking the Concept of Collapse

3 Introduction to the Case Studies: The Archaeological Evidence

4 The Political Economy of Collapse

5 The Political Dimension of Collapse

6 The Social Dimension of Collapse

7 The Environmental Dimension

8 The Validity of the Concept of “Slow Collapse” and Human Resilience

Erscheinungsdatum	13.07.2016
Zusatzinfo	14 Tables, black and white; 77 Illustrations, black and white
Verlagsort	Walnut Creek
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	544 g
Themenwelt	Geisteswissenschaften ► Archäologie
	Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Vor- und Frühgeschichte
	Geschichte ► Allgemeine Geschichte ► Altertum / Antike
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte ► Regional- / Ländergeschichte
ISBN-10	1-62958-458-4 / 1629584584
ISBN-13	978-1-62958-458-4 / 9781629584584
Zustand	Neuware