Thesis
Local extinctions and regional cultural differentiation in the Paleolithic
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
05/2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/102570
Abstract
In this thesis, I explore the relationship between local extinction rates and the spatial scale of similarity in a neutral cultural trait at both the population-level and within time-averaged assemblages. The model presented here includes groups of social learners, who learn a neutral cultural variant through either unbiased, conformist, or vertical transmission and then deposit their trait into group-specific assemblages. I apply local indicators of spatial association to the simulated data in order to investigate how local extinctions affect the spatial scale of cultural “traditions” in artificial metapopulations and if this effect is visible in time-averaged assemblages, the type of data most often analyzed by archaeologists. Time-averaging, where remains which were deposited at different times appear contemporaneous, represents a significant problem when investigating behavioral diversity and change through time. By varying the copy-error rate, local extinction rate, cultural transmission mechanism, and the duration of assemblage formation, one can investigate how each factor structures the data in isolation. Comparing these results at various spatial scales allows one to identify the size of regional similarity. The Upper Paleolithic has often been characterized as a “cultural revolution”, marked by sudden changes in cognition, an increase in innovation, regionally-standardized tools, and symbolism but recent empirical work has raised a number of other potential explanations. Although increased cognitive power and population size, a decrease in local extinction rates, or other demographic factors have been proposed for the emergence of so-called behavioral modernity, it remains unknown where, when, or how Homo sapiens became behaviorally modern. Time-averaged material may not necessarily reflect the populations that deposited them. This study addresses the relationship between local extinctions and the spatial scale of regional cultural differentiation, as well as investigates the role time-averaging may play in Paleolithic assemblages. The model shows that local extinctions can have a positive effect on the spatial scale of cultural similarity in time-averaged assemblages under unbiased and vertical transmission. Time-averaging can amplify both the degree and the spatial scale of cultural similarity seen in populations under unbiased and vertical transmission. The results have implications for interpreting the regional-scale cultural diversity in Paleolithic material culture.
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Details
- Title
- Local extinctions and regional cultural differentiation in the Paleolithic
- Creators
- Galen Alexander Miller-Atkins
- Contributors
- Luke S. Premo (Chair)Tim A. Kohler (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Anthropology, Department ofJeremiah W Busch (Committee Member) - Washington State University, Biological Sciences, School of
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Number of pages
- 84
- Identifiers
- 99900524882101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis