The Political Machine

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The Political Machine explores the crucial role of material culture in maintaining political sovereignty through an archaeological study of the Bronze Age Caucasus. Adam Smith illustrates that polities are not only assemblies of people but also assemblages of objects—ranging from ballots and bullets to crowns and licenses. He examines how these objects help create cohesive publics, distinguish sovereigns from the broader social mass, and formalize governance, highlighting their ongoing influence on contemporary politics. Smith argues that the formation of political entities involves not only the manufacturing of these assemblages but also the disciplining of subjects, with material objects or "machines" sustaining communities, orders, and institutions. The connections between people and things have historically enabled political authority, a dynamic that persists today. He details the transformation of Caucasian communities from egalitarian early Bronze Age villages to Late Bronze Age polities characterized by inequality and centralized rule. By linking Bronze Age practices, such as mortuary rituals and divination, to modern debates over symbols like flag pins and military drones, the work sheds new light on how material goods underpin and defend political order.