The question of the state in the Ancient World: Towards a concept of state logic

Abstract

Perhaps one of the most important contributions of Cristina Di Bennardis to the field of studies on the ancient world revolves around her permanent interest in introducing and discussing theoretical concepts in disciplines such as Assyriology and Egyptology, generally reluctant to theorize. I have always shared that interest and, in particular, the quest to give theoretical density to the concept of state, which is often overlooked or used unreasonably when applied to the History of the Ancient Near East. In this context, the present discussion has three objectives: 1) In contrast to some recent criticisms, it is argued here that the concept of state is useful to understand the specificity ofancient societies; 2) Faced with the current positions of evolutionist bias, which tend to interpret the state as an object, it is proposed here to move the emphasis from that object to the state practice, understood as a relationalpractice that determines a polarized social scene in which an individual or group legitimately concentrates the capacity of coercion and other individuals or groups appear subordinated to the first; and 3) It is also argued that, where state practice prevails, a new dynamic of social articulation is produced, which is strongly divergent from the dominant mode of existence in non-state societies based on the logic of kinship, and can be called the state logic.