Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1489906584
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (899 download)

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Book Synopsis Hunter-Gatherers by : Robert L. Bettinger

Download or read book Hunter-Gatherers written by Robert L. Bettinger and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-11 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hunter-gatherers are the quintessential anthropological topic. They constitute the subject matter that, in the last instance, separates anthropology from its sister social science disciplines: psychology, sociology, economics, and political science. In that central position, hunter-gatherers are the acid test to which any reasonably comprehensive anthropological theory must be applied. Several such theories-some narrow, some broad-are examined in light of the hunter gatherer case in this book. My purpose, then, is that of a review of ideas rather than of a literature. I do not-probably could not-survey all that has been written about hunter-gatherers: Many more works are ignored than considered. That is not because the ones ignored are uninteresting, but because it is my broader purpose to concentrate on certain theoretical contributions to anthro pology in which hunter-gatherers figure most prominently. The book begins with two chapters that deal with the history of anthro pological research and theory in relation to hunter-gatherers. The point is not to present a comprehensive or even-handed accounting of developments. Rather, I sketch a history of selected ideas that have determined the manner in which social scientists have viewed, and thus studied, hunter-gatherers. This lays the groundwork for subjects subsequently addressed and establishes two funda mental points. First, the social sciences have always portrayed hunter-gatherers in ways that serve their theories; in short, hunter-gatherer research has always been a theoretical enterprise. Second, these theoretical treatments have gener ally been either evolutionary or materialist-or both-in perspective.

Hunters and Gatherers in Theory and Archaeology

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Author :
Publisher : Center for Archaeological Investigations
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 516 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Hunters and Gatherers in Theory and Archaeology by : George M. Crothers

Download or read book Hunters and Gatherers in Theory and Archaeology written by George M. Crothers and published by Center for Archaeological Investigations. This book was released on 2004 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reflects the diverse and anthropologically current debate flourishing in prehistoric hunter and gatherer research. Highlighting research in Africa, Australia, Europe, N. America, and the Subarctic, theoretical approaches range from the ecological to the sociological.

Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 1489975810
Total Pages : 308 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (899 download)

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Book Synopsis Hunter-Gatherers by : Robert L. Bettinger

Download or read book Hunter-Gatherers written by Robert L. Bettinger and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-06-30 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hunter-gatherer research has played a historically central role in the development of anthropological and evolutionary theory. Today, research in this traditional and enduringly vital field blurs lines of distinction between archaeology and ethnology, and seeks instead to develop perspectives and theories broadly applicable to anthropology and its many sub disciplines. In the groundbreaking first edition of Hunter-Gatherers: Archaeological and Evolutionary Theory (1991), Robert Bettinger presented an integrative perspective on hunter-gatherer research and advanced a theoretical approach compatible with both traditional anthropological and contemporary evolutionary theories. Hunter-Gatherers remains a well-respected and much-cited text, now over 20 years since initial publication. Yet, as in other vibrant fields of study, the last two decades have seen important empirical and theoretical advances. In this second edition of Hunter-Gatherers, co-authors Robert Bettinger, Raven Garvey, and Shannon Tushingham offer a revised and expanded version of the classic text, which includes a succinct and provocative critical synthesis of hunter-gatherer and evolutionary theory, from the Enlightenment to the present. New and expanded sections relate and react to recent developments—some of them the authors’ own—particularly in the realms of optimal foraging and cultural transmission theories. An exceptionally informative and ambitious volume on cultural evolutionary theory, Hunter-Gatherers, second edition, is an essential addition to the libraries of anthropologists, archaeologists, and human ecologists alike.

Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology as Historical Process

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Author :
Publisher : University of Arizona Press
ISBN 13 : 0816535043
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (165 download)

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Book Synopsis Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology as Historical Process by : Kenneth E. Sassaman

Download or read book Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology as Historical Process written by Kenneth E. Sassaman and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The remains of hunter-gatherer groups are the most commonly discovered archaeological resources in the world, and their study constitutes much of the archaeological research done in North America. In spite of paradigm-shifting discoveries elsewhere in the world that may indicate that hunter-gatherer societies were more complex than simple remnants of a prehistoric past, North American archaeology by and large hasn’t embraced these theories, instead maintaining its general neoevolutionary track. This book will change that. Combining the latest empirical studies of archaeological practice with the latest conceptual tools of anthropological and historical theory, this volume seeks to set a new course for hunter-gatherer archaeology by organizing the chapters around three themes. The first section offers diverse views of the role of human agency, challenging the premise that hunter-gatherer societies were bound by their interactions with the natural world. The second section considers how society and culture are constituted. Chapters in the final section take the long view of the historical process, examining how cultural diversity arises out of interaction and the continuity of ritual practices. A closing commentary by H. Martin Wobst underscores the promise of an archaeology of foragers that does not associate foraging with any particular ideology or social structure but instead invites inquiry into counterintuitive alternatives. Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology as Historical Process seeks to blur the divisions between prehistory and history, between primitive and modern, and between hunter-gatherers and people in other societies. Because it offers alternatives to the dominant discourse and contributes to the agenda of hunter-gatherer research, this book will be of interest to anyone involved in the study of foraging peoples.

Thoughtful Foragers

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521355704
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (557 download)

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Book Synopsis Thoughtful Foragers by : Steven J. Mithen

Download or read book Thoughtful Foragers written by Steven J. Mithen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1990-06-29 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thoughtful Foragers is about hunter-gatherer decision making. The author explores the implications of the human mind as a product of biological evolution for the way in which humans solve foraging problems. He draws on studies form ethology, psychology and ethnography prior to turning his attention to prehistoric hunter-gatherers. He attempts to construct explanations for patterns in the archaeological record by an explicit focus on decision making by individuals. Thoughtful Foragers will appeal to specialists in European prehistory as well as to those interested in archaeological theory and method. It makes some very significant advances, which will be of real importance for the field of evolutionary theory in relation to human evolution and the evaluation of human social systems.

The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191025275
Total Pages : 1361 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers by : Vicki Cummings

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers written by Vicki Cummings and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-04-24 with total page 1361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than a century, the study of hunting and gathering societies has been central to the development of both archaeology and anthropology as academic disciplines, and has also generated widespread public interest and debate. The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers provides a comprehensive review of hunter-gatherer studies to date, including critical engagements with older debates, new theoretical perspectives, and renewed obligations for greater engagement between researchers and indigenous communities. Chapters provide in-depth archaeological, historical, and anthropological case-studies, and examine far-reaching questions about human social relations, attitudes to technology, ecology, and management of resources and the environment, as well as issues of diet, health, and gender relations - all central topics in hunter-gatherer research, but also themes that have great relevance for modern global society and its future challenges. The Handbook also provides a strategic vision for how the integration of new methods, approaches, and study regions can ensure that future research into the archaeology and anthropology of hunter-gatherers will continue to deliver penetrating insights into the factors that underlie all human diversity.

Hunter-Gatherers in History, Archaeology and Anthropology

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000190269
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Hunter-Gatherers in History, Archaeology and Anthropology by : Alan Barnard

Download or read book Hunter-Gatherers in History, Archaeology and Anthropology written by Alan Barnard and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-05-26 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of hunter-gatherers has had a profound impact on thinking about human nature and about the nature of society. The subject has especially influenced ideas on social evolution and on the development of human culture. Anthropologists and archaeologists continue to investigate living hunter-gatherers and the remains of past hunter-gatherer societies in the hope of unearthing the secrets of our ancestors and learning something of the natural existence of humankind. Hunter-Gatherers in History, Archaeology and Anthropology provides a definitive overview of hunter-gatherer historiography, from the earliest anthropological writings through to the present day. What can early visions of the hunter-gatherer tell us about the societies that generated them? How do diverse national traditions, such as American, Russian and Japanese, manifest themselves in hunter-gatherer research? What is the most up-to-date thinking on the subject and how does it reflect current trends within the social sciences? This book provides a much-needed overview of the history of thought on one of science's most intriguing subjects. It will serve as a landmark text for anthropologists, archaeologists and students researching anthropological theory or the history of social anthropology and related disciplines.

Beyond Foraging and Collecting

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1461505437
Total Pages : 466 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (615 download)

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Book Synopsis Beyond Foraging and Collecting by : Ben Fitzhugh

Download or read book Beyond Foraging and Collecting written by Ben Fitzhugh and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume includes new research on the theoretical implications regarding the mechanisms of change in the geographical distribution of hunter-gatherer settlement and land use. It focuses on the long-term changes in the hunter-gatherer settlement on a global scale, including research from several continents. It will be of interest to archaeologists and cultural anthropologists working in the field of the forager/ collector model throughout the world.

The Evolution of Complex Hunter-Gatherers

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1461501377
Total Pages : 154 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (615 download)

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Book Synopsis The Evolution of Complex Hunter-Gatherers by : Ben Fitzhugh

Download or read book The Evolution of Complex Hunter-Gatherers written by Ben Fitzhugh and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book makes a contribution to the developing field of complex hunter-gatherer studies with an archaeological analysis of the development of one such group. It examines the evolution of complex hunter-gatherers on the North Pacific coast of Alaska. It is one of the first books available to examine in depth the social evolution of a specific complex hunter-gatherer tradition on the North Pacific Rim and will be of interest to professional archaeologists, anthropologists, and students of archaeology and anthropology.

The Foraging Spectrum

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Author :
Publisher : Eliot Werner Publications/Percheron Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 463 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (863 download)

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Book Synopsis The Foraging Spectrum by : R. J. Kelly

Download or read book The Foraging Spectrum written by R. J. Kelly and published by Eliot Werner Publications/Percheron Press. This book was released on 2007-12-31 with total page 463 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author wrote this book primarily for his archaeology students, to show them how dangerous anthropological analogy is and how variable the actual practices of foragers of the recent past and today are. His survey of anthropological literature points to differences in foraging societies' patterns of diet, mobility, sharing, land tenure, exchange, gender relations, division of labour, marriage, descent and political organisation. By considering the actual, not imagined, reasons behind diverse behaviour this book argues for a revision of many archaeological models of prehistory. From the reviews "[A]n excellent overview of key issues in hunter-gatherer studies." Alan Barnard in American Ethnologist "Not since Man the Hunter has there been such a synthesis and such a mix of stimulating ideas. This will be the authoritative work on hunter/gatherers for a good number of years." Brian Hayden in Canadian Journal of Archaeology "[A]uthoritative, comprehensive, and highly readable. . . . A well-worn and heavily annotated copy should be the companion of anyone claiming an interest or expertise in present or past hunter-gatherers." Bruce Winterhalder in American Antiquity Prepublication praise "The Foraging Spectrum [is] a well-written, scrupulously researched synthesis of modern approaches to foraging behavior, both past and present." David Hurst Thomas, American Museum of Natural History "A tour de force of scholarship in behavioral ecology." Mathias Guenther, Wilfred Laurier University

The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107024870
Total Pages : 383 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers by : Robert L. Kelly

Download or read book The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers written by Robert L. Kelly and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-15 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Challenges the preconceptions that hunter-gatherers were Paleolithic relics living in a raw state of nature, instead crafting a position that emphasizes their diversity.

The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191025267
Total Pages : 1683 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers by : Vicki Cummings

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers written by Vicki Cummings and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-04-24 with total page 1683 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For more than a century, the study of hunting and gathering societies has been central to the development of both archaeology and anthropology as academic disciplines, and has also generated widespread public interest and debate. The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers provides a comprehensive review of hunter-gatherer studies to date, including critical engagements with older debates, new theoretical perspectives, and renewed obligations for greater engagement between researchers and indigenous communities. Chapters provide in-depth archaeological, historical, and anthropological case-studies, and examine far-reaching questions about human social relations, attitudes to technology, ecology, and management of resources and the environment, as well as issues of diet, health, and gender relations - all central topics in hunter-gatherer research, but also themes that have great relevance for modern global society and its future challenges. The Handbook also provides a strategic vision for how the integration of new methods, approaches, and study regions can ensure that future research into the archaeology and anthropology of hunter-gatherers will continue to deliver penetrating insights into the factors that underlie all human diversity.

Hunter-Gatherer Foraging

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Author :
Publisher : Eliot Werner Publications
ISBN 13 : 1733376992
Total Pages : 127 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (333 download)

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Book Synopsis Hunter-Gatherer Foraging by : Robert L. Bettinger

Download or read book Hunter-Gatherer Foraging written by Robert L. Bettinger and published by Eliot Werner Publications. This book was released on 2009-12-31 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Within the last three decades, foraging theory has established itself as a major-arguably the dominant-cornerstone for both archaeological and ethnographic hunter-gatherer research. Until now, however, no introductory treatment has presented the subject in a form that was quantitatively explicit and yet easy to follow. Designed as an introduction to undergraduate and graduate students new to the subject, and as a refresher for professionals seeking to broaden their command, Hunter-Gatherer Foraging: Five Simple Models presents the five foraging models that lend themselves best to hunter-gatherer application: diet breadth, linear programming, front- versus back-loaded resources, technological investment, and field processing. Each chapter begins with a hypothetical hunter-gatherer problem and takes the reader through the steps needed to state such problems in quantitative form and solve them. Exercises (with answers) at the end of each chapter reinforce key concepts and methodology. From the reviews . . . "[A] fine volume that does just what it claims to. The style is informal, often humorous, and it will clearly work well in a classroom of advanced undergraduates or graduate students. The flow and clarity of the discussions almost makes one forget that this is math that they're trying to master. . . . [A]nyone with a serious interest in hunter-gatherers, prehistoric subsistence, and resource provisioning will want to own a copy." Mark E. Basgall in Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology "This book is the first of its kind to provide a suite of tools applicable to many ethnographic and archaeological foraging problems. Anyone . . . involved in human behavioral ecology should work through this book. It is certainly required reading for any student of the discipline, and as it finds its way into the classroom and onto the desks of practitioners, it is sure to become a classic." Brian F. Codding in California Archaeology "[A]n excellent primer on a group of models that . . . played an important role in the development of hunter-gatherer and ecological studies in anthropology . . . . The examples, sample problems, and touch of humor as the mod els are explained make the book ideal for use . . . with either advanced undergraduates, graduate students, or for anyone wishing for a quick reminder of the math behind the models." Susan K. Harris in American Antiquity "[A] laboratory manual to teach mathematical models to people interested in Optimal Foraging Theory. . . . [T]he book will be useful for graduate seminars to teach details of how foraging societies maximize returns in manipulating the variability in resources of their exploitation territories." Andrew B. Smith in Journal of Human Evolution "[T]his . . . small book . . . could be used well as an adjunct or ancillary text for a n umber of different courses in quantitative methods, hunter-gatherers, or foraging economy. . . . [I]t succeeds overall very well and very nicely in what it aims to do." Robert Whallon in Journal of Anthropological Research "This book would make an excellent accompaniment to many anthropology and archaeology courses, both at high school and college levels. . . . There is a lot of well-written material crammed into this little book! I highly recommend it for anyone interested not only directly with hunter-gatherer research, but for anyone who wonders how-we-know what we think we know about ancient day-to-day life." Ira R. Wishoff in The Dirt Brothers (http://dirtbrothers.org/) Prepublication praise . . . "This volume presents exercises designed to convey foraging models in a hands-on manner. An excellent resource for upper-division undergraduate and graduate-level classes focused on topics ranging from analytical models in anthropology/archaeology to hunter-gatherers." Gary M. Feinman, The Field Museum "Anyone who has tried to teach students the various models used in behavioral ecology will find this book a welcome relief. Written by an authority who understands both theory and application, the book's examples and exercises show the models' potentials and limitations. As a step-by-step guide, it is an indispensable supplement to a variety of classes." Robert L. Kelly, University of Wyoming "A compact, consistently informative, and exemplary primer for beginners and experts alike. Bettinger's inviting and lucid style, multiple examples, and transparent math will make this short book an instant classic, the well-worn companion of anyone interested in prehistoric subsistence and lifeways." Bruce Winterhalder, University of California, Davis

Hunters of the Recent Past

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317598342
Total Pages : 420 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (175 download)

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Book Synopsis Hunters of the Recent Past by : Leslie B. Davis

Download or read book Hunters of the Recent Past written by Leslie B. Davis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-10-30 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of a series of more than 20 volumes resulting from the World Archaeological Congress, September 1986, which brought together archaeologists and anthropologists from many parts of the world, academics from contingent disciplines, and non-academics from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. This book considers prehistoric and more recent manifestations of human hunting behaviour, with a general emphasis on communal hunting. It demonstrates that the combination of archaeological, ethnographic and ethnohistorical approaches provides a researched basis for consideration of the topic on worldwide, regional, and local scales. It includes theoretical and methodological issues, within a context of enquiry, original data presentation, and discussion. It is of interest to archaeologists, anthropologists and ethnohistorians.

The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1107355095
Total Pages : 383 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers by : Robert L. Kelly

Download or read book The Lifeways of Hunter-Gatherers written by Robert L. Kelly and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-04-15 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Robert L. Kelly challenges the preconceptions that hunter-gatherers were Paleolithic relics living in a raw state of nature, instead crafting a position that emphasizes their diversity, and downplays attempts to model the original foraging lifeway or to use foragers to depict human nature stripped to its core. Kelly reviews the anthropological literature for variation among living foragers in terms of diet, mobility, sharing, land tenure, technology, exchange, male-female relations, division of labor, marriage, descent and political organization. Using the paradigm of human behavioral ecology, he analyzes the diversity in these areas and seeks to explain rather than explain away variability, and argues for an approach to prehistory that uses archaeological data to test theory rather than one that uses ethnographic analogy to reconstruct the past.

Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers

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Author :
Publisher : Academic Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 488 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers by : Theron Douglas Price

Download or read book Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers written by Theron Douglas Price and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 1985-01-28 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collection of theoretical papers and case studies on the themes of intensification, sedentism, affluence and the emergence of social inequality; paper by H. Lourandos separately annotated.

The Diversity of Hunter Gatherer Pasts

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Author :
Publisher : Oxbow Books
ISBN 13 : 178570589X
Total Pages : 333 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (857 download)

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Book Synopsis The Diversity of Hunter Gatherer Pasts by : Bill Finlayson

Download or read book The Diversity of Hunter Gatherer Pasts written by Bill Finlayson and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2017-06-30 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thought provoking collection of new research papers explores the extent of variation amongst hunting and gathering peoples past and present and the considerable analytical challenges presented by this diversity. This problem is especially important in archaeology, where increasing empirical evidence illustrates ways of life that are not easily encompassed within the range of variation recognized in the contemporary world of surviving hunter-gatherers. Put simply, how do past hunter-gatherers fit into our understandings of hunter-gatherers? Furthermore, given the inevitable archaeological reliance on analogy, it is important to ask whether conceptions of hunter-gatherers based on contemporary societies restrict our comprehension of past diversity and of how this changes over the long term. Discussion of hunter-gatherers shows them to be varied and flexible, but modeling of contemporary hunter-gatherers has not only reduced them into essential categories, but has also portrayed them as static and without history. It is often said that the study of hunter-gatherers can provide insight into past forms of social organization and behavior; unfortunately too often it has limited our understandings of these societies. In contrast, contributors here explore past hunter-gather diversity over time and space to provide critical perspectives on general models of ‘hunter-gatherers’ and attempt to provide new perspectives on hunter-gatherer societies from the greater diversity present in the past.