Hunting and Gathering Flashcards
Chatters, James C.
1987 Hunter-Gather Adaptations and Assemblage Structure. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 6:336-375.
Main point: We need to start to think about hunter gather groups on an individual basis and consider multiple dimensions of archaeological data in our interpretations. Chatters is arguing against the growing view of placing hunter-gather adaptations (foraging vs. collection) on a continuum, suggesting that this traps archaeologists into an evolutionary perspective. Therefore, Chatters advocates an approach, which incorporates many different types of archaeological data, and views them on independent axes. This paper examines these multiple types of archaeological data and attempts to see which are most useful for categorizing prehistoric adaptive strategies. There are 3 dimensions of human adaptive behavior: interaction with other humans, prevention of hypo- and hyperthermia, and resource exploitation. The forager-collector continuum only looks at resource exploitation, which can be further be broken to mobility, predation, and technology.
Dobres, Marcia-Anne, and Christopher R. Hoffman
1994 Social Agency and the Dynamics of Prehistoric Technology. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 1(3):211-258.
Main Point: This chapter is a critique on prehistoric technology and how archaeologists have approached the topic. They suggest that technology needs to be in tune with social aspects: technology is “a cultural phenomenon embedded in social action, world view, and social reproduction” (211). Dobres and Hoffman argue that incorporating scale (need to use a multi scalar approach), context (technology is embedded within social, political, and economic contexts), materiality (technical attributes and chains operatoires are still important), and social theory (practice theory which makes the role of an individual explicit) can link technological choices and the organization of production activities to social phenomena. This is important, as technology is not immune to a culture’s worldview; essentially technology gives meaning to a socially constructed world. However, social theory (practice theory) can only be used as a starting point, as it has not been developed with explicit attention to the materiality of social agency.
Binford, Lewis R.
1980 Willow Smoke and Dog’s Tails: Hunter-Gather Settlement Systems and Archaeological Site Formation. American Antiquity 45(1):4-20.
Main point: Binford uses ethnoarchaeology and ethnography to paint a picture of hunter and gather lifestyle. He suggests that ethnoarchaeology is the one of the only ways to gain a good understanding of what happened in the past. Binford examines the relation of foraging vs. collecting to the environment. He is interested if any environmental factors influence which strategy people use. Foragers operate on an encounter basis, meaning that they gather food as they find it, or in other words, they are not seeking particular foods, while collectors “supply themselves with specific resources through specially organized task groups.” “The point here is that logistical and residential variability are not to be viewed as opposing principles (although trends may be recognized) but as organizational alternatives which may be employed in varying mixes in different settings.”
