Overview

Warfare and the Dynamics of Political Control draws on a wealth of interdisciplinary perspectives to explore how conflict shapes the establishment and maintenance of political institutions, from small-scale societies to expansive empires. The book examines the material and ideological factors that drive warfare, the organization of combatants, the ways leaders use violence to consolidate power, and how groups resist political domination in times of conflict. By posing critical questions about the efficacy of strategies and the varied outcomes of conflict-driven power struggles, this volume offers profound insights into the dynamics of political control throughout history. Bringing together case studies from diverse regions and time periods, Warfare and the Dynamics of Political Controlilluminates the multifaceted nature of political violence. The volume includes discussions of human sacrifice, slave-taking, ideological signaling, and military strategy and tactics. The case studies reveal how different forms of political violence influence societal structures. From the fortifications of the Māori in New Zealand to the city walls of early historic India, each contribution provides a detailed analysis of how warfare has been used to both to challenge and to establish political hierarchies. Featuring examples from small foraging communities to large empires across various regions and time periods, the book offers a wide-ranging exploration of how different groups have used and resisted political violence. This essential work contributes to our understanding of the intersections between conflict and political power, making it a vital resource for scholars of anthropology, archaeology, political science, and history.

Full Product Details

Author:   Brian R. Billman
Publisher:   University of Arizona Press
Imprint:   University of Arizona Press
Weight:   0.454kg
ISBN:  

9780816554812

ISBN 10:   0816554811
Pages:   320
Publication Date:   31 July 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Politics by Other Means: Toward an Understanding of the Role of Violence in the Origins of Political Control by Brian R. Billman   Chapter 2. Warfare and Sociopolitical Change in the Late Prehistoric Period in Central and Southeastern Costa Rica by Amanda SuÁrez CalderÓn, Yahaira NÚÑez CortÉs, and Francisco Corrales Ulloa   Chapter 3. The Chiefdom of Hāwea: Whakapapa (Genealogy) and Fortifications in Heretaunga, New Zealand by Mark W. Allen and Ngahiwi Tomoana   Chapter 4. Warfare, Captive-taking, Enslavement, and the Creation of Power by Catherine M. Cameron   Chapter 5. Transformations in Mississippian Political Control, Social Houses, and Warfare by David H. Dye   Chapter 6. War, Power, History: Mississippian Village Formation in the Central Illinois River Valley by Gregory D. Wilson, Tyler Ferree, and Amber VanDerwarker   Chapter 7. Conflict and the Politics of Solidarity: Hierarchy and its Limits in the Late Pre-Columbian Andean Highlands by Elizabeth Arkush   Chapter 8. From City Walls to Country Forts: Changing Landscape Intentions of Political Control from the Early Historic to Medieval Eras in the Indian Subcontinent by Monica L. Smith   Chapter 9. Conveying Inka Ideology of Warfare for Establishing and Maintaining Political Control by Dennis Ogburn   Chapter 10. War and the Polity in Early China by Roderick Campbell   Chapter 11. Leadership, Leveling Mechanisms, Warfare, and Political Power by Richard Chacon

Reviews

“This is a thought-provoking collection of case studies about the relation of group conflicts to political strategies and levels of complexity. The examples and interpretations provide a lot of grist for the academic mill in its attempt to understand the variety of grinds that warfare produced in the past.”—Brian Hayden, author of The Eyes of the Leopard ""The strength of this volume lies in the tremendous geographic cross-cultural coverage of the multiple means of political domination in state societies.""—Raymond Hames, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

""This is a thought-provoking collection of case studies about the relation of group conflicts to political strategies and levels of complexity. The examples and interpretations provide a lot of grist for the academic mill in its attempt to understand the variety of grinds that warfare produced in the past.""--Brian Hayden, author of The Eyes of the Leopard ""The strength of this volume lies in the tremendous geographic cross-cultural coverage of the multiple means of political domination in state societies.""--Raymond Hames, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Author Information

Brian R. Billman is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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