essay
Pathways to complexity: an African perspective
beyond chiefdoms : pathways to complexity in africa • Cambridge • Published In 1999 • Pages: 1-30
By: McIntosh, Susan Keech.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a review of the literature on African political systems. McIntosh makes the case for 'horizontal complexity,' i.e., complexity without hierarchy. She argues that one should not assume that complexity and hierarchy go hand in hand. The evidence from Jenné-jeno reveals a dense settlement, without signs of social stratification. The ethnographic literature reveals that leaders in many African societies derive their power from religion and knowledge and not economics and wealth. They discuss the ritual deposit and burial of a high status personage at Igbo Ukwu, Nigeria. For other statements of their thesis see documents nos. 6 and 13.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Smiths and their crafts
- Status, role, and prestige
- Burial practices and funerals
- traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- West African Iron Age
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2002
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Western Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Archaeologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 4: Excellent Secondary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 2001
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- not specified
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1200 BP
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Igbo Ukwu, Nigeria
- NotesAdditional notes
- Susan Keech McIntosh
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-30)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 98038081
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Iron Age--Africa