Power and Agency in Precolonial African States
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2295313 |
|---|---|
| Authors | J Cameron Monroe (0000-0002-8476-6999, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 17-35 |
| Publication date | 2013-10-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Annual Review of Anthropology (BOOK_SERIES) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0084-6570 • E-ISSN: 1545-4290 |
| Publisher | Annual Reviews (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1146/annurev-anthro-092412-155539 |
| OpenAlex | W2150225863 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 44 |
| References cited | 142 |
Precolonial African polities have emerged in recent years as fertile ground for the comparative archaeological study of social complexity and the state. For much of the twentieth century, precolonial African states were misinterpreted as the product of outside stimuli. Recent archaeological research on such polities, however, has revealed the autochthonous origins of social complexity and the state in Africa, providing valuable new insights for the comparative study of state formation in the past. This review outlines how archaeologists have tackled the precolonial state in Africa, beginning with an outline of colonial-era discourse on the nature of the state and civilization in Africa, followed by a discussion of how archaeological perspectives on power provide insights into political processes across the continent. Key examples are examined within four broadly defined subregions. Throughout this review, I highlight (a) the agency of indigenous political entrepreneurs in driving state formation across the continent, and (b) how alternative modes of power shaped the political contours of these precolonial African states
African studies · Agency (philosophy · Archaeology · Chiefdom · Civilization · Colonialism · Ethnology · Geography · Indigenous · Political science · Politics · Power (physics · Social science · Sociology · State (computer science · State formation · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Anthropology · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Ecology · History · Law
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| Unique citing works | 44 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,67 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2026 (13) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 44 |