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Stylistic Variation in Evolutionary Perspective: Inferences from Decorative Diversity and Interassemblage Distance in Illinois Woodland Ceramic Assemblages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Fraser D. Neiman*
Affiliation:
Social Science Statistical Laboratory, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8208

Abstract

Certain aspects of what archaeologists have traditionally called stylistic variation can be understood as the result of the introduction of selectively neutral variation into social-learning populations and the sampling error in the cultural transmission of that variation (drift). Simple mathematical models allow the deduction of expectations for the dynamics of these evolutionary mechanisms as monitored in the archaeological record through assemblage diversity and interassemblage distance. The models are applied to make inferences about the causes of change in decorative diversity and interassemblage distance for Woodland ceramics from Illinois.

Resumen

Resumen

Ciertos aspectos de lo que arqueólogos han tradicionalmente llamado “variación de estilo“ pueden explicarse como el resultado de la introdución de variación selectiva neutral en poblaciones de aprendizaje social, y el error de muestreo en la transmission cultural de variación. Simples modelos matemáticos permiten la deducción de expectativas para la dinámica de estos mecanismos evolutivos controlados en el registro arqueológico a través de la diversidad y la distancia entre conjuntos. Los modelos de los conjuntos artefactuales son utilizados en inferencias sobre las causas del cambio en la diversidad decorativa y la distancia entre conjuntos cerámicos del período Woodland en Illinois.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1995

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