Aggrandizers vs. Egalitarianism in Agency Theory: Understanding the Iroquoian Economic System, Part 2

Abstract

Agency theory, as it will be referred to here, is one of a number of explanatory paradigms that have been appearing with increasing frequency in the archaeological literature and numerous characterizations, applications, and explorations of its implications have been offered. In this article, an attempt will be made to explore the nature of this bundle of ideas and its potential for explaining some phenomena of the Late Woodland of the lower Great Lakes. Specifically, the evolution of Iroquoian social and political organization will be discussed, focusing on the maintenance of egalitarianism in the face of challenges proposed by archaeologists. The purpose of this discussion is to highlight some of the benefits of employing multiple perspectives or paradigms for interpreting the archaeological record.