The Archaeology of Complex Societies: A project presented by the graduate students of The Ohio State University Department of Anthropology Main Menu

Case Studies Lobby: Your Gateway to the Past

12380 Athens
Now it's time to take what you've learned about complex societies and apply it to some actual archaeological data. We have included seven case studies here, spanning many different time periods and geographical areas.

Here, you have the option to visit the societies of your choosing; however, we recommend them all! You can visit Cahokia, an early bustling North American city, before making your way across the pond to one of the most famous cities of all: Athens. While you're there, stop in at Ugarit for mythology and religions, or Çatalhöyük for fascinating domestic households and burials. If you prefer North and South American climates, Cusco and Teotihuacan might be for you. And don't forget to venture over to the Nok in West Africa for figurines and a site you won't soon forget.

Each case study includes information about subsistence strategies, political organization, economy, environment, and ideology for a particular site or civilization. We've included some guiding questions alongside each case study, but what we really would like you to focus on are which, if any, of the provided theoretical definitions best explain the cases, and whether or not you think the civilizations can be classified as complex. After you finish moving through the case studies, be sure to visit the "Conclusions" page for a wrap-up of the exhibit. Enjoy!

This page has paths:

  1. The Politics of Representation Alexandra Wilkins
  2. Nok Rebecca Mayus
  3. Conclusion: Where do we go from here? Rebecca Mayus
  4. Teotihuacan Thomas Pitkin
  5. Çatalhöyük Rebecca Mayus
  6. Athens Alexandra Wilkins
  7. Ugarit Rebecca Mayus
  8. Cusco Alesia King
  9. Cahokia Ben Cross
  10. Athens NOW BAAD Alexandra Wilkins

Contents of this path:

  1. Cahokia
  2. Athens
  3. Teotihuacan
  4. Ugarit
  5. Cusco
  6. Çatalhöyük
  7. Nok
  8. Conclusion: Where do we go from here?
  9. Introduction