The Maritime Mode of Production: The Role of Seafaring in Bronze Age Societies
Author(s): Kristian Kristiansen
Year: 2018
Summary
As exemplified by Viking and Bronze Age societies in northern Europe, we model the political dynamics of raiding, trading, and slaving as a maritime mode of production (MMP). It includes political strategies to control trade by owning boats and financing excursions, thus permitting chiefs to channel wealth flows and establish decentralized, expansive political networks. Such political institutions often form at edges of world systems, where chieftains support mobile warriors, who were instrumental in seizing and protecting wealth. Particular properties of the MMP as relevant to Scandinavia are the fusion of agro-pastoral and maritime forces of productions.
Cite this Record
The Maritime Mode of Production: The Role of Seafaring in Bronze Age Societies. Kristian Kristiansen. Presented at The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC. 2018 ( tDAR id: 444157)
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Keywords
General
Bronze Age
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Coastal and Island Archaeology
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Geoarchaeology
Geographic Keywords
Europe: Northern Europe
Spatial Coverage
min long: -26.016; min lat: 53.54 ; max long: 31.816; max lat: 80.817 ;
Record Identifiers
Abstract Id(s): 21310