In this book, Lynne Kelly explores the role of formal knowledge systems in small-scale oral cultures in both historic and archaeological contexts. In the first

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

This book starts from the premise that methodology has always dominated archaeology to the detriment of broader social theory.

In ancient, pre-literate cultures across the globe, tribal elders had encyclopedic memories. They could name all the animals and plants across a landscape, iden