The Rise of States in the Old World

Module code: AR2552 

There are many states around the world today; indeed many of us live within major states (e.g. USA, UK and so forth). Many of us also live in cities.  But what are the origins of these wide spread and very powerful political, economic, and social structures? When and where did the first states emerge, and why did they emerge? 

Although there really are not any hard and fast answers to the question of why states emerged, there are lots of theories and work that compares early states for us to draw on in this module. We will think about how we define and understand the incredibly complex entities that are states in archaeology, and we will draw on a range of models and ideas, as well as archaeological material to explore the origins of four old world states (Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus, Shang China).

As well as looking at the origins of complex states, we will also consider how each state functioned in areas such as trade, settlements (including cities and other urban areas), craft production and warfare, drawing on a range of archaeological evidence. 

Considering the four old world states together, allows us to compare evidence and their form, allowing us to think about whether there were common factors in the emergence of states. Finally, we will consider what happened when these states ended. Major diseases, climate change, and political vacuums: these have all been suggested as contributing factors in the end of our old world states. Nowadays, these things seem all too real and possible.