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Neolithization in Southwest Asia in a Context of Niche Construction Theory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2015

Kim Sterelny Open the ORCID record for Kim Sterelny [Opens in a new window]  and
Trevor Watkins
Kim Sterelny
Affiliation:
School of Philosophy, Research School of Social Sciences, Coombs Building, Fellows Road, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected]
Trevor Watkins
Affiliation:
School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, William Robertson Wing, Old Medical School, Teviot PlaceEdinburgh EH8 9AG, UK Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The term ‘neolithization’ as it is generally used in relation to southwest Asia narrows the focus of research, and works against our efforts to envision explanations of the process in terms of the long-term evolution of human societies. Here, we re-frame the neolithization process, setting it within the framework of niche construction theory. We argue that the concept of cultural niche construction fits the purpose, but needs to be extended to encompass the more complex social worlds of the Holocene in the form of the cognitive-cultural niche.

Type
Discussion
Information
Cambridge Archaeological Journal , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , August 2015 , pp. 673 - 691
Copyright
Copyright © The McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research 2015 

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