Book contents
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- The Trans-saharan Archaeology Series
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Oasis Origins in the Sahara: A Region-by-Region Survey
- Part III Neighbours and Comparanda
- Part IV Concluding Discussion
- 19 State Formation in the Sahara and Beyond
- Index
- References
19 - State Formation in the Sahara and Beyond
from Part IV - Concluding Discussion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2020
Book contents
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- The Trans-saharan Archaeology Series
- Urbanisation and State Formation in the Ancient Sahara and Beyond
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Contributors
- Preface
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Oasis Origins in the Sahara: A Region-by-Region Survey
- Part III Neighbours and Comparanda
- Part IV Concluding Discussion
- 19 State Formation in the Sahara and Beyond
- Index
- References
Summary
In this concluding chapter we focus on debates about state formation and to what extent it is possible to recognise historical instances of this key process among Saharan societies. Here we make the case for a dynamic Saharan history with frequent episodes of urbanisation and state formation in the past. However, we also emphasise the ephemeral nature of these polities, which challenges more evolutionary models of the rise of towns and states. Towns and states have existed among a range of forms of organisation utilised by Saharan societies, with the balance of power swinging back and forth between sedentary and more mobile lifestyles.
Our exploration of these factors commences with general questions about the definitions and types of towns and states that are detectable in the Trans-Saharan world, coupled with a discussion of the sorts of models that can explain their rise and fall.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020
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