Please login or create a free account to submit a review |
Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail? Contributor(s): Johnson, Scott A. J. (Author) |
|||
ISBN: 1629582824 ISBN-13: 9781629582825 Publisher: Routledge
Binding Type: Hardcover - See All Available Formats & Editions Published: October 2016 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - History | Ancient - General - History | Civilization |
Dewey: 930.1 |
LCCN: 2016013420 |
Physical Information: 0.9" H x 6.2" W x 9.1" L (1.55 lbs) 308 pages |
Themes: - Chronological Period - Ancient (To 499 A.D.) |
Features: Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Maps |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: Ideas abound as to why certain complex societies collapsed in the past, including environmental change, subsistence failure, fluctuating social structure and lack of adaptability. Why Did Ancient Civilizations Fail? evaluates the current theories in this important topic and discusses why they offer only partial explanations of the failure of past civilizations. This engaging book offers a new theory of collapse, that of social hubris. Through an examination of Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Roman, Maya, Inca, and Aztec societies, Johnson persuasively argues that hubris blinded many ancient peoples to evidence that would have allowed them to adapt, and he further considers how this has implications for contemporary societies. Comprehensive and well-written, this volume serves as an ideal text for undergraduate courses on ancient complex societies, as well as appealing to the scholar interested in societal collapse. |
Customer ReviewsSubmit your own review |
To tell a friend about this book, you must Sign In First! |