Eminent historian Patricia Crone defines the common features of a wide range of pre-industrial societies, from locations as seemingly disparate as the Mongol Em

Well before states, literacy, or legal systems, there were commerce and trade, which are found in all societies irrespective of politics, social norms or ideolo

How does the status of women in different cultures actually compare with that of men? How does this position vary from one realm—religious, political, economi

First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The concept of industrial society plays a dominant role in the social sciences. The ‘Great Divide’ between pre-industrial and industrial societies is common