Technology as human social tradition : cultural transmission among hunter-gatherers / Peter Jordan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jordan, Peter, 1969- author.

Series:

Origins of human behavior and culture ; 7.

Origins of human behavior and culture ; 7

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Technology and civilization.

Hunting and gathering societies.

Technological complexity.

Prehistoric peoples--Material culture.

Prehistoric peoples.

Social evolution.

Social learning.

Intercultural communication.

Material culture.

Physical Description:

xi, 412 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2015]

Summary:

"This book examines three interlocking topics that are central to all archaeological and anthropological inquiry: the role of technology in human existence; the reproduction of social traditions; the factors that generate cultural diversity and change. The overall aim is to outline a new kind of approach for researching variability and transformation in human material culture, and the main argument is that these technological traditions exhibit heritable continuity: they consist of information stored in human brains and then passed onto others through social learning. Technological traditions can therefore be understood as manifestations of a complex transmission system, and applying this new perspective to human material culture builds on, but also largely transcends, much of the earlier work conducted by archaeologists and anthropologists into the significance, function and social meanings associated with tools, objects and vernacular architecture"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Preface

Acknowledgments

Note on data sets

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Northwest Siberia

4. Pacific Northwest Coast

5. Northern California

6. Conclusions

Appendix: Mantel matrix correlations

References

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780520276925

0520276922

9780520276932

0520276930

OCLC:

877369544