It is a book rich in theoretical insights, supported via empirical case studies. The book represents a welcome addition to the bibliography ... It is a must-read for all readers interested in state-formation.

Franco De Angelis, University of British Columbia, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

With this volume, Bruce Routledge has given archaeologists one of the most important works yet published on political archaeology … More successfully than any other author I know, Routledge confronts archaeology's state theory bugbear and promotes a coherent blueprint for future studies of early complex polities that promises to be seminal … Routlege expresses the hope that his work, though imperfect, will open the door to a better political archaeology … Routledge has indeed opened this door and that Archaeology and State Theory will become a foundational text for future archaeological approaches to complex polities.

Roderick B. Campbell, Archaeology Review from Cambridge