Table of Contents

1. The secret; Part I. The New World: 2. The complex hunter/gatherers of the American Northwest; 3. California; 4. The American Southwest and Mesoamerica; 5. Plains secret societies; 6. The Eastern woodlands and others; Part II. The Old World: 7. Oceania; 8. Chiefdoms in Central Africa; 9. West Africa; Part III. Implications For Prehistory: 10. Archaeological applications; 11. Conclusions.

Promotional Information

Secret societies in tribal societies turn out to be key to understanding the origins of social inequalities and state religions.

About the Author

Brian Hayden is a Research Associate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia and Professor Emeritus at Simon Fraser University. In addition to excavating sites on three continents, he has conducted ethnoarchaeological research in Australia, British Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, Polynesia, and Southeast Asia. These studies have resulted in new models of domestication, feasting, social inequalities, and now ritual and religion. Hayden has been recognized for this pioneering work as a member of the Royal Society of Canada. His other works include The Power of Feasts (Cambridge, 2014), Shamans, Sorcerers, and Saints: A Prehistory of Religion (2003), and Archaeology: The Science of Once and Future Things (1993).

Reviews

'This is a strong book and a fascinating account of practices … It gives us clear examples of secret societies in a variety of cultures and helps us get an appreciation for how they might have functioned in the past as well as how this undermines perceived notions of the role of religion in ancient societies.' Joanne M.A. Murphy, American Journal of Archaeology