Simulating Lithic Raw Material Variability in Archaeological Contexts: A Re-evaluation and Revision of Brantingham's Neutral Model

Authored by Cornel M Pop

Date Published: 2016

DOI: 10.1007/s10816-015-9262-y

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Python R

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Flow charts

Model Code URLs: https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1007%2Fs10816-015-9262-y/MediaObjects/10816_2015_9262_MOESM2_ESM.zip

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic re-evaluation of Brantingham's (American Antiquity, 68(3), 487-509, 2003) neutral model of raw material procurement. I demonstrate that, in its original form, the model is ill-suited to the identification of archaeologically visible patterns, as it can only simulate processes governing the composition of toolkits and these differ substantially from those influencing the composition of discard records. I discuss and implement a series of modifications, and provide a detailed analysis of discard records produced under revised model definitions. On this basis, I argue that qualitative similarities in patterns generated by the neutral model and those evidenced in archaeological contexts cannot be used to prove, or disprove, the adaptive or functional significance of raw material variability (cf. Brantingham 2003). However, I show that the revised model can be used to detect deviations from neutral expectations quantitatively and within well-defined error ranges. I outline a new set of predictions for what archaeological variability should look like under the simplest procurement, transport, and discard behaviors, and argue that deviations from each of these may be traceable to specific behavioral domains (e.g., biased mobility, raw material selectivity). I also demonstrate that (a) archaeological sites or assemblages do not offer an adequate proxy for the average composition of ancient forager toolkits; (b) assemblage richness is, by itself, a very poor predictor of occupational histories; and (c) that the common practice of calculating expected frequencies from distances to sources is flawed, regardless of how such distances are measured.
Tags
patterns Ethnoarchaeology mobility technology France Organization Europe Material economy Procurement Perspectives