Anthropology  environmental settings

1) States and Empires developed independently in dramatically different environmental settings.
Were environmental factors important stimuli or constraints in the development of ancient states and empires? Compare the relationship of environment to specific features and events in the rise and fall of complex civilizations in at least two civilization areas. What are the roles of environmental factors (e.g. climate, geography, geology, plant and animal species, agricultural potential, resource abundance or scarcity) in the histories of states or empires in each region?

2) Empires use a variety of strategies to integrate diverse regions and peoples into an “overarching tribute-taxation structure and an ideological apparatus” (Gailey and Patterson 1987:8).
Compare and contrast the strategies of expansion, consolidation and administration employed by at least two ancient empires. How did imperial strategies permit each empire to exert control, extract tribute and avoid resistance? How did the choice of strategies affect the viability and longevity of each imperial system?

3) Ideology may be defined as “the principles, philosophies ethics and values by which human societies are governed”. Iconography is “the ways in which aspects of the world, the supernatural or human values are conveyed in art” (Flannery and Marcus 1996:351).
Compare and contrast the ideologies of any two ancient states or empires as represented in the iconography of their corporate art and architectural style. What does its art tell us about each state society?