Knowledge and Power in Prehistoric Societies

Prehistoric societies, including those at UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Chaco Canyon, employed sophisticated mnemonic devices to encode and transmit vast amounts of pragmatic knowledge—such as navigation, astronomy, and trade agreements—despite lacking written records. Lynne Kelly's analysis reveals that control over this knowledge was intricately linked to power structures within oral cultures. By examining both historically documented societies and archaeological evidence from Chaco Canyon, Poverty Point, and Stonehenge, the study demonstrates how monumental structures served as tools for preserving and disseminating complex information, offering a new lens to interpret non-literate societies' achievements.

Kelly, L. (2015). Knowledge and Power in Prehistoric Societies. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9781107444973