Contexts for Prehistoric Exchange

1st Edition - October 28, 1982
Author: PERISIC
Language: English
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 1 - 4 8 3 2 - 9 4 6 7 - 4

Contexts for Prehistoric Exchange is a collection of papers that discusses the theoretical and methodological approaches in understanding the parameters of regional exchange from… Read more

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Contexts for Prehistoric Exchange is a collection of papers that discusses the theoretical and methodological approaches in understanding the parameters of regional exchange from both the Old and New Worlds. The papers deal with the sourcing of exchange material, spatial patterning, the modeling of exchange, production for exchange, consumption, and symbolic contexts. One paper evaluates the different laboratory techniques for analyzing archaeological materials, their efficiency, "cost," range of applicability, and the mathematical usefulness of the data toward the research. Another paper describes the prehistoric obsidian used throughout New Mexico, and applies mathematical representations of the procurement strategies associated with the different obsidian source areas or time periods. The paper then incorporates these analyses with available bodies of theories on raw-material procurement and exchange. Through an analysis of stylistic and technological attributes of southwestern ceramics, one paper notes that inferring exchange on the basis of stylistic similarity does not always lead to a simple correlation between stylistic distributions and patterns of material exchange. Another paper suggests that ethnohistory and archaeology in Andean exchange can be complementary approaches to the discovery of patterns, processes, and change/exchange of other systems. The collection can prove beneficial for archaeologists, anthropologist, sociologists, and researchers interested in the pre-history of the Old World or New World.

Contributors

Preface

1 Prehistoric Economics and the Archaeology of Exchange

Introduction

Toward an Explanation of Exchange

Toward an Archaeological Description of Exchange

Sourcing of Exchanged Material

Description of Spatial Patterning of Exchanged Materials

Reconstructing the Organization of Prehistoric Exchange

Production and the Analysis of Exchange

Consumption, Symbolic Contexts, and Exchange

The Facilities and Historical Documents of Exchange

Conclusions

References

Sourcing of Exchanged Material

2 Chemical Characterization in Archaeology

Introduction

Chemical Methods

Mathematical Treatment of the Data Sets

Materials That Have Been Characterized

Conclusion

References

Spatial Patterning and the Modeling of Exchange

3 Regional Modeling of Obsidian Procurement in the American Southwest

Introduction

New Mexico Obsidian Sources

Data on the Prehistoric and Historic Use of Obsidian in New Mexico

Trend-Surface Analysis of New Mexico Obsidian

Regression Analysis of Obsidian Use in New Mexico

The Evolution of Local and Regional Obsidian Procurement Systems

Conclusions

References

4 Marketplace Exchange as Indirect Distribution: An Iranian Example

Introduction

The Development of Complex Economies

A Case Study—Highland Iran Circa 3200 B.C.

Conclusions

References

5 Aboriginal Exchange and Territoriality in Owens Valley, California

Obsidian in California

The Problem of Owens Valley Sociopolitical Organization

Prehistoric Subsistence and Settlement in Owens Valley

Identifying Exchange

Archaeological Identification of Prehistoric Territories in Owens Valley

The Analysis of Obsidian Artifacts

The Results of Obsidian Analysis

Conclusion

References

Production for Exchange

6 Production for Obsidian Exchange in California

Introduction

Some Expectations

Reconstruction of Production Systems

Production for Obsidian Exchange in Central California

Summary and Conclusions

References

7 Reduction Sequences and the Exchange of Obsidian in Neolithic Calabria

Introduction

Obsidian Exchange in Calabria: The Background

Obsidian-Reduction Experiment

Analysis of the Obsidian-Reduction Experiment

A Trial Analysis of Four Neolithic Assemblages

Beyond Obsidian

References

8 The Social Context of Production and Exchange

Introduction

Obsidian Production and Distribution in Mesoamerica

Archaic and Woodland Societies in Ontario

The Trade Partnership

Conclusions

References

Consumption and Symbolic Contexts

9 Toward a Contextual Approach to Prehistoric Exchange

The Substantivist Approach

The Formalist Approach

Social Exchange

Symbols and Ideology in Exchange

Conclusion

References

10 A Contextual Examination of Neolithic Axe Distribution in Britain

British Neolithic Axes and Research Aims

Four Models of Axe Exchange

Analysis of Neolithic Axes

Conclusion

References

11 The Relationship of Stylistic Similarity to Patterns of Material Exchange

Introduction

Models of Social Distance and Social Interaction

Information Exchange and the Impact of Social Differentiation

Some Factors Underlying Hierarchical Patterns of Information Exchange

Analyzing Style Distributions in the American Southwest

Evaluating the Information-Exchange and Material-Exchange Hypotheses

Summary

References

Additional Approaches to Exchange

12 Storage Facilities and State Finance in the Upper Mantaro Valley, Peru

Introduction

Redistribution as Staple Finance

Storage Facilities and Exchange

The Economy of the Inca Empire

The Mantaro Valley in Late Prehistory

Storage in the Mantaro Valley

The Regional Use and Control of Storage

The Mobilization and Distribution of Stored Goods

Discussion of Results

References

13 The Inca as a Nonmarket Economy: Supply on Command versus Supply and Demand

Inca Economy: A Nonmarket Model

Mobilization: The Rule of Supply on Command

Rejecting the Market Hypothesis

Uses of Ethnohistory and Archaeology in the Study of Andean Economy

Summary

References

Subject Index