Archaeologies of Complexity addresses the nature of contemporary archaeology and the study of social change, and debates the transition from perceived simple, egalitarian societies to the complex power structures and divisions of our modern world. Explaining the ambiguous terms "complexity", "hierarchy" and "inequality", this book provides a critical account of the Anglo-American research of the last 40 years. Through a detailed case study of the later prehistoric societies of the Western Mediterranean, the author supports his radical alternative analysis of early societies.