Collapse Studies in Archaeology from 2012 to 2023

Abstract

The study of collapse in archaeology and history has continued to grow and develop in the last decade and is a respectable target of investigation in and beyond these fields. Environmental determinism and apocalyptic narratives have become less acceptable and collapsology has matured into a more nuanced, self-critical, and sophisticated field. This review explores recent work on collapse in archaeology between 2012 and 2023. It demonstrates how collapse, and associated concepts such as resilience, fragility, and vulnerability, are studied in the light of present-day threats, how collapse studies are increasingly recognized to have application in the present day, where they can contribute to discourses of resilience and sustainable development, and shows the diversity present in collapse studies. It also discusses the language and concepts of collapse. I explore these areas with reference to general works on collapse and to six specific historical episodes of collapse: Old World collapse, eastern Mediterranean collapse, the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, the Classic Maya, Tiwanaku, and Rapa Nui.