LECTURE | Rethinking Early States: Ancient Egypt, and Beyond | David Wengrow

Scholars have long sought for the origins of modern states in antiquity, with ancient Egypt serving as a prototype of “the archaic state.” Drawing on ideas in my recent book with David Graeber, The Dawn of Everything (L’alba di tutto), my lecture will present an alternative thesis. Rather than being a deeply rooted political form, the modern state may instead be regarded as a recent convergence of three different principles of social power: sovereignty, competitive politics (e.g. elections), and bureaucracy. An archaeological perspective suggests that these three principles of organised power have distinct origins and often appeared independently or in tension with each other. This may provide a more compelling way to understand the variety of political forms in the human past, than searching for “the origins of the state”.
David Wengrow is Professor of Comparative Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (UCL) and has been a visiting professor at New York University (Institute of Fine Arts), the University of Auckland, and the University of Freiburg. David has conducted archaeological fieldwork in Africa and the Middle East. He is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles, including The Archaeology of Early Egypt, What Makes Civilization? and co-author with David Graeber of the New York Times bestseller, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity.

[@paulhutchinson5608]

Great lecture. Always good to provide different perspective

[@carmonandy]

The lecture starts at 8:33

[@chakstandsup]

Love how the suburban country-club aristocracy is a group as old as history.

[@kashishshunyam]

starts @ 9:20

[@sofvines3940]

What common narrative is David disputing?

[@sofvines3940]

Looking at the past to see what worked and what didn't ISN'T how history works? .....im at a loss! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@JacintaPalerm]

Unconvincing

[@xcorat1586]

Loves, why not cut off the first 4mins... :/ cmon!

[@maplelake6963]

never let an ideologue write history

[@mathusalen1]

There is not an outside of ideology, the only difference between Wengrow and others is that he makes his explicit.

[@maplelake6963]

so where does he write "I am just a spin doctor"? @@mathusalen1

[@JZ-yn4ut]

Reckon yer pretty smart do ya

[@callmeishmael3031]

No video off the bat. I’m out of here. What’s your problem?

[@raisalaugh1075]

Oh goodness gracious me. I listened to it all, patiently hoping that his preamble would turn into something with meaningful content that I could learn from, how disappointing. If that is a presentation of progressive deep understanding of early history based on all the modern research, academia has failed. They have created a complex collection of jargon and theories with which they aspire to explain the archeological record but it seems they cannot see the wood for the trees. The evidence for this being this very inconclusive lecture. He did at least have the honesty to admit there is much they cannot explain. My conclusion is that despite his phenomenally detailed understanding of the archeological record, that he actually understands little about the development of civilization and the basics of social interaction. I have presumed he has dismissed the content of all the ancient writings of this time because his modernist straight-jacketed brain could not understand the language style of the day. Those ancient "myths" actually give massive insight, for the open minded and answer many of the questions that allude him.

[@sabinajankovicova1284]

I think he understands IT better that scientists last 200 years who just explain everything by our rasist white colonial western prejudice.

[@sofvines3940]

Bless you!!!!!🙇‍♀️ I came across david on another podcast and couldn't make any sense of what he is trying to say. So I dug up a few more and they were titled "challenging the common narrative" and "the pre history you know is wrong" and such like, but nowhere does he say anything actually new or controversial. The statements he makes could be seen as provocative about 50 to 100 years ago I suppose, but I have yet to meet a person nowadays that doesn't realize there have been structured societies before written history. Yours is the first comment I found that wasn't praising mr.Wengrow. Started to think I was losing my mind! 🙏

[@raisalaugh1075]

I think he is playing to the crowd who desperately want the Bible and collaborating ancient documents to be ignored. Stay sane 🥰@@sofvines3940

[@humanbridges]

Great lecture. Wengrow needs to work on his funny habit of glasses on and off for no reason. better to hold onto a small plastic egg shaped object and gently move it about in your hand. Otherwise the theatrics of taking glasses on and off detracts from the content. I know this, I went through the same experiences.

[@Samb1600]

dude they're reading glasses. gotta take those off to see better into the crowd

[@stonedzebra420]

he needs bifocals

[@user-zk4kl3wd3v]

thats it ? the take away ?

[@johnsmith5139]

What a frivolous, arrogant comment.

[@jonnymahony9402]

David graeber had his coffee cup obsession, wengrow need his own thing 😁