Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory

1st Edition, Volume 6 - March 28, 1983
Editor: Michael B. Schiffer
Language: English
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 2 - 9 4 2 9 - 2

Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, Volume 6 is a collection of papers dealing with the study of man's ancestors in antiquity. One paper compares archaeology in Europe… Read more

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Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory, Volume 6 is a collection of papers dealing with the study of man's ancestors in antiquity. One paper compares archaeology in Europe and in North America where turn-of-the-century archaeologists, both professionals and amateurs, have contributed to the development of the science. Their contribution has led to an institutional sense of delineating professionals and amateurs in archaeological science and, more substantially, in matters of defining stone tools, cultural occupations, and cultural change. Another paper discusses large-scale stylistic trait distribution in broad terms related to archaeology, sociology, and geography. A model of cultural evolution simplifies anthropological concept of cultural complexity into inequality and heterogeneity, which are measurable variables to test hypotheses of cultural evolution. One paper cites the case of the Maya as subsistence and complex societies to show the diversity of Maya agriculture and other subsistence subsystems. One paper notes that the concepts and theory which archaeologists are using tend to be more sophisticated than their ability to provide samples of observations for testing. The collection is suitable for professional or amateur archaeologists, anthropologist, sociologists, and researchers interested in pre-historical times and cultures.

Contributors

Contents of Previous Volumes

1 The Antiquity of Man and the Development of American Archaeology

Introduction

The Prologue to Early Man: 1860-1890

The Great Paleolithic Controversy: 1889-1900

Early Man in America: What Have the Bones to Say?

The Folsom Finds

Archaeology's Flat Past and Some Conclusions

References

2 Investigating the Diffusion of Stylistic Innovations

Introduction

The Field of Study

Historical Background of Contemporary Diffusion Research

A General Framework for Investigation of Stylistic Diffusion

Donors and Potential Adopters of Innovations

The Social Context of Stylistic Diffusion

Implications for Stylistic Diffusion Rates

Implications for the Spatial Structure of Stylistic Trait Distributions

Concluding Remarks

References

3 Breaking Down Cultural Complexity: Inequality and Heterogeneity

Introduction

Stair Steps to Complexity: A Typological Approach to Cultural Evolution

Cultural Complexity as a Variable: The Hologeistic Method and Systems Theory

The Layer-Cake Model of Stratification

Breaking Down Cultural Complexity into Constituent Variables: Inequality and Heterogeneity

Cultural Complexity: The Interaction of Inequality and Heterogeneity

The Interaction of Heterogeneity and Inequality: The Pyramids of Egypt

The Integration of Societies: The Interaction of Heterogeneity and Inequality

Measuring Change in Cultural Complexity

Measuring Cultural Evolution: The Southwest

Conclusion

References

4 Subsistence and Complex Societies: The Case of the Maya

Introduction

Modeling Lowland Maya Agriculture

Testing Ground of the Dialectic: The Subsistence Evidence

Testing of the Dialectic

The State of the Lowland School

Note on New Publications

References

5 The Role of Palynology in Archaeology

Introduction

Data Base

Data Analysis

Pollen Analysis: The Archaeological Perspective

Summary

References

6 Plant Opal Phytolith Analysis: Major Advances in Archaeobotanical Research

Introduction

Phytolith Production in Plants

Taxonomy of Phytoliths

Taphonomy of Phytoliths

Phytolith Extraction from Plants

Phytolith Extraction from Soil

Phytoliths as Paleoclimatic Indices

Phytoliths and the Paleoecology of Archaeological Sites

Phytolith Studies in Prehistoric Agriculture

Phytolith Studies of Diet

Phytoliths and Prehistoric Plant Use

Phytolith Study of Tool Function

Phytoliths and Dating Methods

Phytolith Analysis and Archaeology: A Prospectus

References

7 The Siteless Survey: A Regional Scale Data Collection Strategy

Introduction

Excavation and Surface Survey

The Concept of Site

A Regional Data Acquisition Strategy

Summary

Postscript

References

8 Regional Sampling in Archaeological Survey: The Statistical Perspective

Introduction

Operational Models in Archaeological Survey

Fundamental Concepts

Estimating Regional Parameters

Recovery of Information about Archaeological Sites

Conclusion

References

Index

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Michael B. Schiffer