What is your Roman Empire? It’s about to be this episode. What causes the big dogs to stumble and fall? Do societies collapse suddenly, or would one notice as it happens? What *is* a complex society – and is it better than a simple one? Depends on who you ask, and we went straight to the source: the legendary anthropologist, scholar, historian and author of “The Collapse of Complex Societies,” Dr. Joseph Tainter. New obsession awaits you in the fall of the Roman Empire, cities lost to the desert dust, diminishing returns, fiddling amid the flames, the worst beard in history, fossil fuels, fertilizer, bread, circus, hanging chads, and if you should go live on a small goat farm. Happy 250th birthday to the currently United States of America!
Follow Dr. Tainter on <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=sbEDS84AAAAJ&hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Scholar</a>
Buy his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Collapse-Complex-Societies-Studies-Archaeology/dp/052138673X" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Collapse of Complex Societies</a>
A donation went to <a href="https://www.usu.edu/advancement/howtogive#waystogive" rel="noopener noreferrer">Utah State University's Ecology Center</a>
<a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/collapsology" rel="noopener noreferrer">More episode sources and links</a>
Other episodes you may enjoy: <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/classical-archeology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Classical Archeology (ANCIENT ROME)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/revolutionology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/futurology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Futurology (THE FUTURE)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/nomology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nomology (THE CONSTITUTION)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/genealogy" rel="noopener noreferrer">Genealogy (FAMILY TREES)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/agnotology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Agnotology (IGNORANCE)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/genocidology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/syndesiology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Syndesiology (CONNECTIONS)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/spacearchaeology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Space Archaeology (SPACE JUNK)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/astrobromatology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Astrobromatology (SPACE FOOD)</a>, <a href="https://www.alieward.com/ologies/paternology" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paternology (FATHERHOOD)</a>
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Editing by Mercedes Maitland of <a href="http://maitlandaudio.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maitland Audio Productions</a> and <a href="https://www.jecmusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jake Chaffee</a>
Managing Director: Susan Hale
Scheduling Producer: Noel Dilworth
Transcripts by Aveline Malek 
Website by <a href="https://www.kellyrdwyer.com/photo" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kelly R. Dwyer</a>
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