Contributors to this volume focus on elements of life in past societies that "went without saying" and that concealed different forms of power as obvious and unquestionable.

Reinhard Bernbeck is a professor at the Institut für Vorderasia-tische Archäologie, Freie Universität Berlin. He is the editor of several volumes, including Archaeologies of the Middle East: Critical Perspectives. He also serves on the advisory board for the journal Archaeologies. Randall H. McGuire is a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at Binghamton University. He is the author of several books, including Archaeology as Political Action.