Complexity in archaic states

The concept of complexity, associated particularly with ancient cities, states, and civilizations and their immediate antecedents, denotes qualities of hierarchical differentiation and the intricacy and interdependency of their parts and relationships. Alike in the human and natural worlds, complexity has repeatedly emerged as an overarching characterization through irregular, discontinuous processes of accumulation. These led by degrees and at intervals to relatively abrupt, qualitative changes. Under various constraints, contemporary archaeological research methods and objectives have not been accompanied by an adequate recognition of the centrality of increasing complexity as a social evolutionary tendency. Here it is argued that a focused, highly interdisciplinary study of complex adaptive systems is meanwhile coming to the fore that deserves careful archaeological scrutiny. A growing convergence of interests is suggested by shared issues like historical path-dependency, the interactions of differently situated and motivated human agents, differential returns to scale, and the range of possible, computer-generated outcomes of unpredictable combinations of orderly, random and stochastic processes and events. (C) 2001 Academic Press.