Bronze Age landscape dynamics: spatially detailed pollen analysis from a ceremonial complex

The late Neolithic and early Bronze Age are periods marked by the construction of conspicuous concentrations of ‘ritual’ complexes, used for funerary rituals, seasonal gatherings and communal activities. Understanding the environmental context of monuments may provide detailed insights into relationships between the physical environment and the activities undertaken at individual monuments. Raised burial mounds (barrows) are generally assumed to have been constructed in open landscapes (the so-called ‘landscape openness’ hypothesis) thus rendering them highly visible in the surrounding landscape. This paper seeks to test to what extent vegetation (and in particular openness) around a dense concentration of barrows was actively managed, using three pollen sequences in close spatial juxtaposition to the archaeology. The local vegetation histories, supported by radiocarbon dating, demonstrate spatial differences in vegetation pattern both during the time of monument construction and use (c. 2000–1500 cal BC) and during subsequent periods. They do not support the ‘landscape openness’ hypothesis. This suggests that there is no single ‘blueprint’ for vegetation structure on and around these types of monument complexes. There is no evidence for major restructuring of the landscape during the early Bronze Age. The data describe a major transformation of the vegetation around 1500 cal BC (the Middle Bronze Age) in an area not known for archaeology of this date. This serves to emphasize the role of palaeoecology in augmenting the archaeological record of landscape re-organisation and transformation in prehistory.     

The national question: sociological reflections on nation and nationalism

The sociology of nation, national identity and nationalism has long been the subject of benign neglect. After examining the few positive contributions made by classical writers, we attempt to explain why the contribution of classical theory to the field is unreliable. In common with others we find that, for all that classical theory might treat the prominence of nation, national identity and nationalism as a passing phase, it in fact takes the existence of all three as givens to such an extent that they and their effects become invisible. But the sociology of nation and nationalism reached a turning point with the publication of Elie Kedourie's influential work in 1960. We explain the effect of this work on later writers, especially Ernest Gellner and Anthony Smith, and survey the work of these and other contributors to the field with an eye to their differences and similarities. We identify various stages in the development of the sociology of nation and nationalism, culminating in the most recent stage in which the significance of the subjective aspects of nationalism has received increased attention. We think there is room for a multiplicity of approaches to the subject and stress its central significance to sociology. We explain why nation, national identity and nationalism are certainly not in decline and suggest where the most fruitful lines of inquiry lie for future research.     

THE BEHAVIORAL COSTS OF ECONOMIC INSTABILITY*

This paper reviews the literature reporting a connection between economic change and behavioral disorder. The literature is separated into individual and aggregate based research and the methodological issues raised by each approach are described. The implications of the research findings for illness prevention, remedial services and economic policy making are discussed. The authors argue that the social costs of mobile capital should be accounted and internalized because social justice as well as Economic and Psychological theory assume that an individual should bear the costs of his or her behavior.     

Reviews

Australian. Robert Manne, The Petrov Affair: Politics and Espionage, Sydney, Pergamon, 1987, pp.310. $28.50 (cloth), $19.00 (paper).

P. Loveday and D. Wade‐Marshall (eds), Economy and People in the North, Australian National University & North Australia Research Unit, Darwin, 1985, pp. 294. $18.00 (paper).

Barry M. Coldrey, Critical Issues in Peace Studies, Melbourne, Edward Arnold, 1987, pp. 151. $15.95 (paper).

G. Zdenkqwski, C. Ronalds and M. Richardson, The Criminal Injustice System, Volume 2, Pluto Press, Sydney and London, 1987, pp.325. $19.95 (paper).

Drew Hutton (ed.), Green Politics in Australia, Sydney, Angus & Robertson, 1987, pp. 245. $14.95 (paper).

Philip Ayres, Malcolm Fraser: A Biography, Melbourne, Heinemann, 1987, pp. 518. $39.95 (cloth).

Denis White & David Kemp (eds), Malcolm Fraser on Australia, Melbourne, Hill of Content, 1986, pp. 240. $19.95 (paper).

Comparative and International. Gavan McCormack & Yoshi Sugimoto (eds), Democracy in Contemporary Japan, Sydney, Hale & Iremonger, New York, M.E. Sharpe Inc.; 1986, pp.272, $14.95 (paper).

Richard Robison, Indonesia: the Rise of Capital, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 1986, pp. 425. $19.95 (paper).

Frederic Spotts and Theodor Wieser, Italy: A Difficult Democracy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986, pp.329. $32.00 (paper).

Ferenc Feher and Agnes Heller, Doomsday or Deterrence? On the Antinuclear Issue, New York, Sharpe, 1986, pp.153. U.S.$12.95 (paper).

Rasul B. Rais, The Indian Ocean and the Superpowers, London, Croom Helm, 1986, pp. 215. £25.00 (cloth).

Neil Harding (ed.), The State in Socialist Society, Oxford/London, St Antony's/Macmillan, 1984, pp.316. $18.95 (paper).

Peter Raina (ed.), Poland 1981: Towards Social Renewal, London, Allen & Unwin, 1985, pp. 472. $55.00 (cloth).

Rasma Karklins, Ethnic Relations in the USSR: The Perspective from Below, Boston, Allen & Unwin, 1986, pp. 256. $54.00 (cloth).

A.E. Holmans, Housing Policy in Britain, London, Croom Helm, 1987, pp. 489. £29.95 (cloth).

William H. Flanigan and Nancy H. Zingale, Political Behavior of the American Electorate. Boston, Allyn and Bacon, sixth edition, 1987, pp. 221. $33.95 (paper).

Political Theory and Methodology. Andrew Cox. Paul Furlong and Edward Page, Power in Capitalist Society: Theory, Explanations and Cases, Brighton UK, Wheatsheaf Books, 1985, pp. 235. $29.95 (paper).

Harry Beran, The Consent Theory of Political Obligation, Sydney, Croom Helm, 1987, pp.167. £25.00 (cloth).

John Dunn, The Politics of Socialism: An Essay in Political Theory, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1984, pp.103. $13.25 (paper).

John Gyford, The Politics of Local Socialism, London, Allen & Unwin, 1985, pp. 124. $16.95 (paper).

Andrew Levine, Arguing For Socialism: Theoretical Considerations, London, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1984, pp.241. $39.95 (cloth).

Peter Beilharz, Trotsky, Trotskyism and the Transition to Socialism, London and Sydney, Croom Helm, 1987, pp. 197. $82.95 (cloth).

William Borman, Gandhi and Non‐Violence, Albany, N.Y., State University of New York Press, 1986, pp. 287. US$39.50 (cloth), US$12.95 (paper).

Women. Judith Evans et al., Feminism and Political Theory, London, Sage, 1986, pp.155. £5.95 (paper).

Colleen Burke, Doherty's Corner, Sydney, Sirius Books, 1987, pp.154. $9.95 (paper).     

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John W. Burton, Global Conflict: The Domestic Sources of International Crisis. Wheatsheaf Books‐Harvester Press, 1984 (paperbacked edition 1987), pp. xiiv + 194. $27.95.

Michael Banks (ed.), Conflict in World Society: A New Perspective On International Relations. Wheatsheaf Books‐Harvester Press, 1984 (paperback edition 1987), pp xxi + 234. $29.95.

Adam Watson, Diplomacy: The Dialogue Between States. Methu‐en, London, 1984, pp. 239. $14.95.

David Steele, The Reform of the United Nations. Croom Helm, London and Sydney, 1987, pp. 191. £22.50.

Brian Urquhart, The United Nations and International Law. The Rede Lecture, 1985. Cambridge University Press, 1986, pp.20. $10.50.

Christine Jennett and Randal G. Stewart (eds), Three Worlds of Inequality: Race, Class and Gender. Macmillan, South Melbourne, 1987, pp. x+395. $24.95.

Anthony D. Smith, The Ethnic Origins of Nations. Basil Black‐well, Oxford, 1986, pp. xviii + 312. $87.50. Paul Brass (ed.), Ethnic Groups and the State. Croom Helm, London and Sydney, 1985, pp.341. £17.95.

Michael MccGwire, Military Objectives in Soviet Foreign Policy. The Brookings Institution. Washington, D.C., 1987, pp. xiv + 530. $US18.95.

Mark Frankland, The Sixth Continent — Russia and Mikhail Gorbachev, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1987, pp. x+292. $39.59.

Martin Gilbert, Shcharansky — Hero of Our Time, Penguin Books, Harmonsworth, 1987, pp. ix +467. $14.95.

Bundesinstitut fur ostwissenschaftliche und internationale Stu‐dien, Cologne, The Soviet Union 1982–83. Holmes and Meier, London, 1985, pp. xi + 392. No price given.

Arthur R. Day, East Bank/West Bank: Jordan and the Prospects for Peace. Council on Foreign Relations, New York, 1986, pp. x + 166. $US17.5 (doth), $US8.95 (paper).

Michael Petit, Peacemakers at War — A Marine's Account of the Beirut Catastrophe. Faber and Faber, Boston, 1986, pp.229. $36.95.

Research Institute for Peace and Security, Tokyo, Asian Security Annual Report 1986. RIPS/Brassey's Defence Publishers, London, 1986, viii + pp. 204. $77.00 (cloth), $38.50 (paper).

Economics & Pacific Security: The 1986 Pacific Symposium. National Defense University Press, Washington DC, 1987, xi + pp. 260. No price given.

Alan Rix, Coming to Terms. The Politics of Australia's Trade with Japan 1945–57. Allen & Unwin Australia, Sydney, 1986, pp.267. $29.95 (cloth), $17.95 (paper).

David Anderson, An Analysis of Japanese Coking Coal Procurement Policies: The Canadian and Australian Experience. Centre for Resources Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, 1987, pp. xvii + 222. No price given.

Phillip Darby, Three Faces of Imperialism: British and American Approaches to Asia and Africa 1870–1970. Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 1987, pp.vii + 267. $US22.50.

Neville and Yu‐Ying Brown, South Africa: Sanctions or Targetted Aid? Muirhead Foreign Policy Papers No 1, University of Birmingham, 1987, pp. 51. £3.50.

William Minter, King Solomon's Mines Revisited: Western Interests and the Burdened History of Southern Africa, Basic Books, New York, 1986.

Jan Knippers Black, The Dominican Republic, Politics and Development in an Unsovereign Slate. Allen & Unwin, Boston, 1986, pp.xi+164. $27.95.

Glenyys Romanes, Eve Scarfe & John Scott‐Murphy: Central America. A Report from the ACFOA Fact Finding Mission to Guatemala, EL Salvador and Nicaragua, August‐September 1986. Australian Council for Overseas Aid, Canberra, 1987, pp.vi + 50. $5.00.

Edward Dommen and Philippe Hein (eds), States, Microstates and Islands. Croom Helm, London and Sydney, 1985, pp. 216. £19.95.

Commonwealth Secretariat, Vulnerability. Small States in the Global Society. Report of a Commonwealth Consultative Group. Commonwealth Secretariat, London, no date (1986?), pp. xii + 126. £5.00.

Te'o IJ. Fairbarin, Island Economies. Studies from the South Pacific. Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific, Suva, 1985, pp. xxi + 442. No price given.