Session: #152

Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each

The rise and fall of complex entities is traditionally one of the most relevant topics of archaeology and history. Nevertheless, while the origin of complexity is implicitly linked with the idea of societal ‘progress’, the shift to looser structures is generally associated with ‘fall’, ‘collapse’, and ‘catastrophe’. But the end of complex societies leaves more than ruins buried by sand or vegetation, echoing past bustling life. The failure of societal structures does not imply the end of the societies that made them. The latter often transformed and adapted to new settings, embracing different and more flexible configurations. Recent scholarship has increasingly recognized the dynamic potential of such societal transformations, with for example, exciting discussions around resilience, consensus, and co-operation, as well as recognizing the dangers associated with a ‘progressivist’ view of political evolution that privileges a very rigid idea of what is ‘complex’ and what constitutes ‘success’. These developments are particularly welcome and relevant for African research, where scholars have long celebrated the rich diversity of shifting social and political configurations that do not conform to traditional models of institutionalized hierarchy. However, Africa is rarely included in wider discourses, despite this huge potential. In this session therefore, we aim to address this by inviting speakers to reflect, rethink, and discuss societal transformation and complexities in Africa from the last three millennia, and ask non-Africanists to join the conversation, so that we might enhance our understanding of social dynamics, and bring the richness of the African past into a global spotlight.

Collapse, Transformation, Social Complexity, Africa

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Stefano Biagetti (Spain) ¹

Ceri Ashley (South Africa) ²