Expert: Ralph Salier - 12/15/2002

Question
hello, my name is david. I was wondering if i could ask a few questions about complexity in civilizations?

-what defines a complex society? a simple society? i have a working idea about differentiation in labor, hierachy etc..but im not sure about specifics.

-causes for the collapse of a society? i know some like war, conquest, exploitation of resources, new technologies reducing need for the elite. over-expansion...the runaway train model- could you explain these or others i am missing?

-and what exactly is political and cultural unification when applied to state formation? any  examples you could provide from the new or the old worlds. China and Mesoamerica would be specifically helpful.

thank you very much
david march

Answer
Hi David.  You ask some rather difficult and complex questions for this venue.  But I will make an attempt to provide you with answers.

1) I can answer this easiest by telling you what a simple society is and by this all others are complex.

The Kung San bushmen of the Kalihari are a simple society with no head man but rather the council of elders.  All members of the society have a vote even the children (thou they don't count until they come of age). They live simply off of the land, leave little to identify their passing and understand and are part of their environment.  A complex society begins to change the environment they live in, in some way.

2) Run - away train is where the need for expansion creates reasons for the destruction of other cultures.  The most resent example is that of world war II with the expansion of the Germans and the Japanese.  They made the vain attempt to destroy other cultures and almost succeeded.  Others are caused by famine, drought, and other natural desasters from earthquakes to volcanos.  We as a species almost did not make it due to a huge explosion some 78 thousand years ago which nearly wiped out the human race.

3) There are several recent examples of this one being the reunification of  Germany and Vietnam.  Others in history are the unification of the Chinese cultures, Northern and southern Egyptian empires, the unification of the german states etc... In mesoamerica, the various Mayan states were only loosely unified by culture, language and proximity.  Beyond this they were rather blood thirsty folks and were constantly at war with thier neighbors.  What brought on the colaps of the culture was famine.

I hope that this is enough, but if not, please ask additional questions.