“Jennings presents the strongest argument I have seen against the civilization concept. The model he presents is a major reorientation of views about the origins of social complexity, and I find it compelling and exciting. Unlike the traditional view, which sees cities and urbanism as by-products of the development of states, Jennings puts cities at center stage. Cities came first, and only then did the problems and benefits of urban life produce kings, states, inequality, and economic development. This is a radical reinterpretation of early history, but I predict it will take hold and guide research for decades to come. Killing Civilization is a major intellectual contribution.”—Michael E. Smith, editor of The Comparative Archaeology of Complex Societies
“Jennings challenges long-cherished notions of anthropologists regarding the origin of cities, states, and other hallmarks of complex societies.”—Mark W. Allen, coeditor of The Archaeology of Warfare: Prehistories of Raiding and Conquest
