Chapter 9 Flashcards
external trade
something that takes place with the outside world
social organization
interactions within a society
trading systems
extend widely over boundaries of many independent societies
world system is also known as
world economy
world system designates an economic unit
joined by trade networks extended beyond the boundaries of individual political units
world systems doesn’t refer to
the whole world
the present world system is based on
capitalism
exchange of goods implies
goods will change hands and its a two way transaction
who established the 3 types of exchange
Karl Polanyi
3 types of exchange
- reciprocity
- redistribution
- market exchange
reciprocity
exchanges that take place between people who are more or less equal
can be seen as gift exchange
reciprocity
positive reciprocity
takes place between close kin or those who know each other well
negative reciprocity
exchange where attempts are made to better the other
operates between strangers or those of socially distance from each other
negative reciprocity
redistribution
goods are sent the the central power before being distributed to the society
operation of some central organization
redistribution
chiefdoms would have operated this way
redistribution
features a more highly ordered and central organization of society
redistribution
market exchange
involves a system of price marking through negotiations
both a central location for exchange AND a sort of social relationship where bargins can happen
market exchange
internal socio-political units
market exchange
kula network
exchange network where a series of relationships between the inhabitants of some islands were cemented by the trade of valuable objects
most of the valuables held by a culture were
for display not usually useful
valuables
limited range of materials for a society that is seen as high value
prestige goods
increase the status of consumers who own or use them
peer-polity interaction
used in ceremonial exchanges of non-state societies
exotic animals were often thought to be
appropriate gifts for royalty
sphere of exchange
objects are allocated to different spheres for transactional purposes
valuables and ordinary commodities were
exchanged separately
valuables were exchanged against
valuables
commodities were exchanged against
commodities
ceremonial exchanges
establish and reinforce alliances
the kula system is an example of
ceremonial exchanges
competitive exchanges
used to settle rivalries
characterization is also known as
sourcing
technique that examines characteristic properties of the constituent material
characterization
what must be in characterization
something about the source of the material that distinguishes its products from those of the sources
characterization depends on
the nature of the various potential sources for the material
what is a source that’s very different and easily distinguish
obsidian
what is a source that’s very similar and NOT easily distinguished
flint and some metals
what is not well suited for characterization
organic remains
what is needed for a sound basis for characterization
ecological mapping
what is not a problem for how the raw material has changed during the production of artifacts
stone
what is a problem for how the raw material has changed during the production of artifacts
pottery
thin section analysis
technique where microscopic thin sections are cut from a stone or potshard
thin section analysis is used to determine
the source of the material
neutron activation analysis
depends on the excitation of the nuclei of the atoms when bombarded with slow neurons
used in analysis of artifact composition
Neutron activation analysis
neurons slow down after
a set of collisions on atomic nuclei
trend surface analysis
used to obtain valuable insight into the structure of the data showed on the maps created
not the best way to DIRECTLY use and study the data from plotting maps
trend surface analysis
fall-off analysis
quantity of a traded material will decline as the distance from the source increases
fall-off analysis shows
the mechanism that could have bene used for the material to reach the destination
fall-off analysis is produced ONLY by a
down the line trading system
interaction involves the exchange of
- goods
- information (ideas, symbols, inventions…)
interaction sphere
analyze interactions that DON’T make assumptions about dominance or subordinance
interaction spheres consider different areas
as on a more or less equal footing
peer-polity interaction are the
tokens of wealth and prestige
peer-polity interactions are the
full range of exchanges taking place between self governing socio-political units in the same region
7 aspects of peer-polity interactions
- competition
- competitive emulation
- warfare
- transmission of innovation
- ceremonial exchange of valuables
- flow of commodities
- language and ethnicity
the exchange of what was more important in interaction spheres
valuables than ordinary objects
widespread exchange of prestige goods was accompanied by what in the Hopewell interaction spheres
symbolic system adopted in each independent region
first example of interaction spheres
Hopewell
material elements of trade can show
job and place in society
objects reflect
relations between people
what can be used to reconstruct the economy
objects
2 main issues with trade
- the economy
- objects are markers of social relationships
formalist-substantivist debate
were ancient economics similar to ours or different?
economies were different to ours
substantivist
economies were similar to ours
formalist
formal laws that govern economic behavior
neo-classical economics
neo-classical economics 3 aspects
- marginal utility
- supply and demand
- homo economicus
marginal utility
at a certain point, something that is wanted becomes useless to us
example of marginal utility
wanting and eating pizza every night for a week = bad for our health
supply and demand
relationship between the quantity of an object sold at various prices and the quantity that consumers wish to buy
when prices are high
less buying of the product
when prices are low
more buying of the product
homo economicus
people who make rational economic decisions
Identifies Formalists and Substantivists
Karl Polanyi
substantivist
no natural laws govern economics
economics are rooted in culture that is being studied
substantivist
key people in how objects mark social relationships
- marcel Mauss
- Thorstein Veblen
- Immanuel Wallerstein
Immanuel Wallerstein
world systems theory
world systems theory
powerful people are seperated from the gentry of society
world systems theory see powerful people as the
core
world systems theory see other people as the
periphery
according to the world systems theory, there are different
lives and living conditions for the different status of people
Thorstein Veblen
conspicuous consumption
conspicuous consumption
powerful people in the society aren’t working and instead waste time and money on activities to further increase status and class
examples of conspicuous consumption
- golf
- wine tasting
- wasting others time
example of conspicuous consumption in archaeology
- emperors who don’t do anything
- slavery
- battles at the Amphitheatre
Marcel Mauss
The gift
the gift is an idea about
how there is an obligation to return the gift
gifts are
not free
