Have you ever pondered the definition of complexity? This might seem like a strange question. After all, we tend to throw the word out fairly casually, applying it to any number of ideas or situations: a complex crossword puzzle, a complex math problem, the complex workings of the brain, and so on. In these examples, complexity is used to describe something that is tricky, something that is hard for us to understand, something with many interwoven and sometimes confusing parts. How, though, would we apply the term to the social sphere? Suddenly things get a little more - for lack of a better term - complex. It’s easy to grasp the concept of a tricky crossword puzzle clue, but similarly labeling a society as “a tricky one” leaves much to be desired. Clearly, we need to flesh out our definition, but doing that isn’t going to be an easy task. In fact, a straightforward characterization of complex societies has eluded social scientists for many decades, and possibly even centuries.

In this virtual exhibit, we’ll be introducing you to a history of theoretical thought regarding social complexity. As you likely noticed, our area of particular interest lies in archaeology, or the study of past societies. Therefore, we will focus on a few major questions. What are some of the ways that archaeologists have attempted to define social complexity? What features, if any, can be nailed down as hallmarks of complexity? And how do scientists take their theoretical understanding of complexity and apply it to the actual data they find in the archaeological record?

Our goal throughout this exhibit is to present you with the information you need to start answering these questions. To this end, we will present first a brief history of archaeological thought, followed by a discussion of a concept known as the politics of representation. We hope that these discussions will allow you to get into the mindset of an archaeologist, and encourage you to really think about the various characteristics that make up societies, how those characteristics come to be, and how they can be organized into a cohesive whole. Next, we will challenge you to take your newfound archaeological mindset and apply it to some actual case studies. Using what you've learned, you'll be able to take a look at data from past societies and determine whether or not you think they fit different definitions of complexity. In other words, you'll be going through the same steps and thought processes that actual archaeologists use to make interpretations of the past!

A brief disclaimer before we move forward: as we said, a true understanding of social complexity is something that has eluded archaeologists for many, many years. This exhibit isn't meant to provide you with straightforward answers, to point out any single definition of complexity as the "best" one. Rather, we hope to challenge some of the previously conceived ideas that you might have had about this topic, and to make you aware of some of the difficulties that social scientists face on a regular basis. As you move through the following pages, make sure you are thinking critically, considering your own perspectives alongside those of other theorists, and using your own creativity to make links and draw conclusions. On that note, welcome to the world of archaeology, and have fun reading!

One Word, Many Definitions: A (Very) Brief History of Archaeological Theory