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Archaeology and the ecodynamics of human-modified landscapes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

James McGlade
James McGlade*
Affiliation:
International Ecotechnology Research Centre, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 OAL, England McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3ER, England
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Extract

First generation modelling of cultural systems, as applied in archaeology, frequently invoked linear, deterministic relationships as well as privileging concepts such as stability and an assumed cumulative evolution towards increasing complexity. But can the world of human affairs with its numerous reversals and unintended consequences really be captured by such models? Recent advances in the natural sciences have demonstrated the central role of non-linear phenomena, discontinuities and unpredictable breaks from established patterns and events. It is argued that such findings can form the basis for a new theoretical framework, human ecodynamics.

Type
Papers
Information
Antiquity , Volume 69 , Issue 262 , March 1995 , pp. 113 - 132
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 1995 

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