Listen free for 30 days

Sample
  • The Collapse of Complex Societies

  • New Studies in Archaeology
  • Written by: Joseph A. Tainter
  • Narrated by: Brian Arens
  • Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Collapse of Complex Societies

Written by: Joseph A. Tainter
Narrated by: Brian Arens
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.00

Buy Now for $32.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Political disintegration is a persistent feature of world history. The Collapse of Complex Societies, though written by an archaeologist, will therefore strike a chord throughout the social sciences. Any explanation of societal collapse carries lessons not just for the study of ancient societies, but for the members of all such societies in both the present and future. Dr. Tainter describes nearly two dozen cases of collapse and reviews more than 2,000 years of explanations. He then develops a new and far-reaching theory that accounts for collapse among diverse kinds of societies, evaluating his model and clarifying the processes of disintegration by detailed studies of the Roman, Mayan, and Chacoan collapses.

©1988 Cambridge University Press. Produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©1988 Joseph A. Tainter (P)2024 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC
activate_WEBCRO358_DT_T2
activate_samplebutton_t1

What listeners say about The Collapse of Complex Societies

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.