Complex Hunter–Gatherers in Evolution and History: A North American Perspective

Foraging Wild Resources and Sustainable Economic Development

“…In other words, an economic system with foragers-traders is possible only if trade remains marginal, i.e., if the traded wild resources correspond to a fortuitous surplus. Such situation is illustrated by what are called "complex HG" societies (Price & Brown, 1985;Keeley, 1988;Sassaman, 2004). Indeed, these "pure foragers" were labeled as complex HG (Note 9) because they were exploiting abundant and valuable resources (Note 10) and therefore were able to extract a significant surplus.…”

Agency and politics in hunter-gatherer territory formation

“…Although the overwhelming theoretical thrust of studies of hunter-gatherer resource use, land tenure, and territoriality is on evolutionary and behavioral ecology (e.g., Bettinger, 1991;Casimir and Rao, 1992;Dyson-Hudson and Smith, 1978;Eerkens, 1999;Kelly, 2007;Kornfeld, 2003;Winterhalder and Smith, 1981;Surovell, 2000), a growing interest in the emergence of hunter-gatherer complexity has brought a host of other facets of land and resource use to bear on the issue of territorial organization; in particular, the dynamics of unequal access to vital resources and its social and political consequences (e.g., Ames, 1991;Arnold, 1996;Fitzhugh, 2003;Prentiss and Kuijt, 2004;Price and Brown, 1985;Sassaman, 2004). These studies expand the sociopolitical dimensions of human-land interaction of past and present foragers, offering a fresh processual take on social evolution because they demonstrate that hunter-gatherer trajectories do not preclude the development of territoriality.…”

“…Regardless of whether the research focus is on evolutionary ecology (Bettinger, 1991;Winterhalder and Smith, 1981), early colonization of continents (Meltzer, 2009), transition to agriculture (Price and Gerbauer, 1995), interethnic relationships (Kent, 2002), social complexity (Arnold, 1996;Chapman, 2003;Sassaman, 2004) or ancient and modern state formation (Layton, 2001;Wolf, 1981), the interest in understanding long-term evolutionary trends in human society inevitably brings scholars to take yet another look at the theoretical and empirical foundation that hunter-gatherer organization provides.…”

Origem e evolução da desigualdade material hereditária: uma abordagem dos Sistemas Adaptativos Complexos

“…Apesar da ausência de estudos arqueológicos aprofundados que nos permitam ter um certo grau de certeza sobre a estrutura social presente entre os H. sapiens desde a sua origem, há um consenso de que os primeiros grupos deveriam ter sido caçadores-coletores, organização reconhecida por seu caráter igualitário (SASSAMAN, 2004). Ou seja, sob esta premissa, nossa espécie teria sido selecionada em pequenos grupos não estratificados e não hierarquizados (HAYDEN, 1990;FINLAYSON, 2009).…”

“…As técnicas empregadas, as tecnologias desenvolvidas e os papéis sociais coordenados para a execução destas atividades também devem ter tido influência no processo, de maneira que o fenômeno deve contemplar, ainda, características do comportamento humano como a cooperação (KAPLAN et al, 2009;SASSAMAN, 2004;YESNER, 1980), a competição (FRANGIPANE, 2007;KAPLAN et al, 2009;KENNETT et al, 2008) Blake & Clark (1999). , 1989;OATES, 1960;ROTHMAN, 2004;STEIN, 1994), primeiro registro do histórico arqueológico conhecido; e o caso dos caçadores-coletores complexos da Costa Noroeste norte-americana (AMES, 1981;MITCHEL, 1990;MOSS;ERLANDSON, 1995;RUYLE, 1973 (AMES, 1981;.…”