In How Chiefs Became Kings, Patrick Vinton Kirch addresses a central problem in anthropological archaeology: the emergence of “archaic states” whose distinctive feature was divine kingship. Kirch takes as his focus the Hawaiian archipelago, commonly regarded as the archetype of a complex chiefdom. Integrating anthropology, linguistics, archaeology, traditional history, and theory, and drawing on significant contributions from his own four decades of research, Kirch argues that Hawaiian polities had become states before the time of Captain Cook’s voyage (1778-1779). The status of most archaic states is inferred from the archaeological record. But Kirch shows that because Hawai‘i’s kingdoms were established relatively recently, they could be observed and recorded by Cook and other European voyagers. Substantive and provocative, this book makes a major contribution to the literature of precontact Hawai‘i and illuminates Hawai‘i’s importance in the global theory and literature about divine kingship, archaic states, and sociopolitical evolution.

"Guitars inspire cult-like devotion: an afficionado can tell you precisely when and where their favorite instruments were made. And she will likely also tell you about the wood they were made from and its unique effects on the instruments' sound. In Following Guitars, Chris Gibson and Andrew Warren trace guitars all the way back to the tree. It is a book about musical instrument making, the timbers and trees from which guitars are made. It chronicles the authors' journeys across the world, to guitar festivals, factories, remote sawmills, Indigenous lands, and distant rainforests, in search of the behind-the-scenes stories of how guitars are made, where the much-cherished guitar timbers ultimately come from, and the people and skills involved along the way. The authors are able to unlock insights on longer arcs of world history: on the human exploitation of nature, colonialism, industrial capitalism, and cultural change. They end on a parable of wider resonance: of the incredible but unappreciated skill and care that goes into growing and felling trees, milling timber, and making enchanted musical instruments; set against the human tendency to reform our use (and abuse) of natural resources only when it appears too late"--

A study of colonialism and indigenous health in Hawaiʻi, highlighting cultural change over time.

Chiefs are political operatives who hold titles of leadership over groups larger than intimate kin-based communities. Although they rule with the consent of their group, they are all about building personal power and respect. Many scholars have viewed chiefs as problem solvers--defending groups against aggressors, resolving disputes, providing support under hardship, organizing labor for community projects, and redistributing goods among those in need. Chiefs do these things, but much of what chiefs do is accumulate benefits for themselves, staying in power and legitimizing control. Anthropological archaeology is well suited to pursue the study of chiefs, their leadership institutions (chiefdoms), and long-term historical processes. The author argues that studying chiefdoms is essential to understanding the role of elemental powers in social evolution. As an illustration, he studies chiefs and their power strategies in historically independent prehistoric and traditional societies and discusses how they continue to exist as powerful actors within modern states.

This book analyzes the many threats to democracy that exist in the 21st century and tries to understand how democracy can survive economic, social and political crises. It focuses on issues of oligarchy, tyranny, totalitarianism, and ochlocracy. It discusses how these forms of governance manifested themselves in ancient and medieval worlds, and how socio-economic transitions in the 21st century have created conditions that increasingly pose similar threats to modern democracy. The author discusses broad transitions in the contemporary world: economic transition to advanced, high technology capitalism; cultural transition from traditional religious and family values to norms focusing on racial equality, gender and transgender equality and liberation, and multiculturalism; also, transition from the traditional religious worldview to rational-scientific worldview, and from religious morality to secular humanist ethics. These taken together undergird the political transition from traditional authority, involving monarchy and aristocracy, to rational-legal authority, involving constitutional law and democratic participation. The book shows, through extensive country discussions, that whenever these transitions become difficult, undemocratic forms of governance may emerge and override democracy. Authored by an expert in the field, this book touches upon an especially topical theme in the contemporary world and is of interest to a wide readership across the social sciences, from researchers and students to discerning laypersons.