Early Civilizations: Ancient Egypt in ContextFor anthropologists an 'early civilization' is historically the earliest form of a class-based society. In this original and provocative book, Bruce Trigger places our understanding of ancient Egypt in perspective through a comparative examination of Egypt during the Old and Middle Kingdoms with the early civilizations of the Inkas, the Shang and Western Chou of China, the Aztecs and their neighbors, the classic Mayas, the Yorubas and Benin, and ancient Mesopotamia. Professor Trigger investigates the economic foundations of these early civilizations, their politics and culture, and their religious traditions, drawing some surprising conclusions. His innovative work adds a new dimension to our understanding of early civilizations, charting new courses for their study in the future and indicating for both anthropologists and Egyptologists the value of comparative studies. Enhanced by an important bibliographical essay, the book broadens our understanding of the similarities and differences among ancient civilizations. |
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administrative agricultural ancient Egypt ancient Egyptian ancient Mesopotamia Andean anthropologists appear archaeological army ayllu Aztec kings Basin of Mexico Benin calpulli Cambridge University Press central government Chicago Press chinampas Chinese city-state systems Classic Maya common cross-cultural cultural Cuzco dead deities descendants divine Dynasty early civilizations Early Dynastic economic Egyptologists elite empire estates evidence gods hence highland Mexico History human behavior hunter-gatherer important Inca individual Inka Inka rulers Kingdom Egypt kingship labor land large numbers lived London major Mesopotamian Mexico Middle Kingdom Moctezuma II nature nobility Nubia officials Old and Middle Old Kingdom Ometeotl palaces patrilineal peasants period Peru pharaohs pochteca political organization population density preindustrial produced realm region relations religion religious beliefs rituals role royal settlement patterns Shang China slaves social organization societies square kilometer structures supernatural symbols temples tended Tenochtitlan territorial tion tombs trade tribute upper classes Western Chou women Yoruba