Nonlinear Models for Archaeology and Anthropology: Continuing the Revolution

Description

The dominant social theory used by archaeologists has tended to focus on either small scale agency or large-scale cultural patterns and processes of change. The authors of this volume argue that archaeologists should use nonlinear models to more accurately model the connections between scales of analysis, and show how micro-scale variation can lead to macro-scale cultural change. This work examines the applications of nonlinear systems models within archaeology and evaluates the range of approaches currently encompassed within Complexity Theory. Cover Half Title Dedication Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables List of Contributors Preface Acknowledgements 1 Continuing the Revolution 2 As Water for Fish: Human Groups as Complex Ecaptive Systems 3 Remember How to Organize: Heterarchy Across Disciplines 4 Agency, Collectivities, and Emergence: Social Theory and Agent Based Simulations 5 Factional Formation and Community Dynamics in Middle-Range Societies 6 Modelling Prehistoric Maize Agriculture as a Dissipative Process 7 Approaches to Modelling Archaeological Site Territories in the Near East 8 Afterword Bibliography Index