Publisher's Synopsis
Archaeology of Frontiers and Boundaries presents a diverse set of case studies that addresses the basic questions concerning social change through the study of anthropological archaeology. This book discusses the methodological difficulties of modeling open systems. Organized into three parts encompassing 13 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the partial solution to assess the openness of human systems through the study of frontiers and boundaries. This text then presents a theoretical treatise on forager-farmer interaction using simulation experiments. Other chapters consider the hunter-gatherer settlement patterns as a response to local resource conditions. This book discusses as well the systemic views of cultural change adopted by archaeologists, which emphasize the processes underlying cultural change rather than the structure of the social units undergoing transformations. The final chapter deals with the relationship between behavior and modern material culture on the one hand, and variables of socioeconomic class and ethnicity on the other. This book is a valuable resource for archaeologists and anthropologists.
