Optimization theory and pre-columbian hunting in the Tehuacan Valley

Abstract

Previous analyses of faunal remains from highland Mesoamerican sites have viewed implied changes in animal exploitation patterns as a secondary consequence of early agricultural practices. This paper argues that faunal data from the Tehuacan Valley, when interpreted within an optimization framework provide evidence for the alteration of optimal meat harvesting strategies through time by communities responding to a variety of socioenvironmental factors: seasonal and long-term availability of game, access to domestic meat resources, human meat demand levels, and scheduling constraints.