{"product_id":"understanding-early-civilizations-a-comparative-study","title":"Understanding Early Civilizations: A Comparative Study","description":"\u003cp\u003eArising independently in various parts of the world  early civilizations--the first class-based societies in human history--are of importance to social scientists interested in the development of complexity  while their cultural productions fascinate both humanists and the general public. This book offers the first detailed comparative study of the seven most fully documented early civilizations: ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia  Shang China  the Aztecs and their neighbors  the Classic Maya  the Inca  and the Yoruba. Unlike previous studies  equal attention is paid to similarities and differences in their sociopolitical organization  their economic systems  and their religious beliefs  knowledge  art  and values. Many of this studys findings are surprising and provocative. They challenge not only current understandings of early civilizations but also the theoretical foundations of modern archaeology and anthropology. Rival cultural and ecological approaches are demonstrated to be complimentary to one another  while a comprehensive understanding of human behavior is shown to require that more attention be paid to psychology and the neurosciences. Bruce G. Trigger is James McGill Professor in the Department of Anthropology at McGill University. He received his PhD from Yale University and has carried out archaeological research in Egypt and the Sudan. His current interests include the comparative study of early civilizations  the history of archaeology  and archaeological and anthropological theory. He has received various scholarly awards  including the Prix Leon-Gerin from the Quebec government  for his sustained contributions to the social sciences. He is an honarary fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and an honarary member of the Prehistoric Society (U.K.). His numerous books include Sociological Evolution (Blackwell  1998)  Early Civilizations: Ancient Egypt in Context (Amer. Univ in Cairo  1993)  A History of Archaeological Thought (Cambridge  1989)  and The Children of Aataentsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 (McGill-Queens Univ.  1976).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44946097897525,"sku":"ByrdShop_0521705452","price":41.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780521705455.jpg?v=1769923730","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/understanding-early-civilizations-a-comparative-study","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}