The lifeworld of hunter-gatherers and the concepts of territory

Abstract

In this paper, I intend to show that the notion of an exchange network is much more useful than that of territory in the study of Paleolithic societies. The heuristic benefit of the notion of exchange network is demonstrated by its adaptability to different spatial scales, from local to regional and supra-regional, the last one being difficult to integrate in the traditional concept of territory.Models issued from the study of contemporary hunter-gatherers are easily applied to the European Upper Paleolithic. Interactions between groups should satisfy two contradictory requirements: each group needs to maintain its identity through specific markers, but on the other hand, it needs to communicate with neighbors and share with them material resources and cultural features such as beliefs and symbols. Hence the complex patterns that can be found in rock art and portable art, consisting in a mixture of strictly localized traits and other widely shared features. Exchange networks may be analyzed at different scales and their fluctuations over the course of time give us some access to the dynamics of Paleolithic human geography. In particular, I will evaluate this hypothesis using examples from the graphic images and forms of the Upper Paleolithic “arts”.