Development Of Social Complexity Research Articles

A typology of polished stone axes in the middle Yellow River and their impact on early complex societies

Polished stone axes have long been recognized as essential tools directly related to logging and wood processing in sedentary societies, playing a crucial role in prehistoric people's survival and social production. Their evolution as production tools has been a driving force behind the advancement of society's productive capacities. In this article, information and data on stone axes from the middle Yellow River region are systematically compiled, presenting a typology based on 640 stone axes from 153 sites spanning the Middle Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The main conclusions derived from the study are as follows: (1) Typological study reveals that stone axes can be classified into 7 types. By examining the evolution of these types and their combinations, four distinct phases in the development of stone axes are identified, reaching its peak during the middle stage of Phase 4. (2) The flourishing of the stone axe types originated in the Yangshao period in the Guanzhong Plain. With the development of social complexity and the establishment of the Xia and Shang dynasties after the Longshan period, the center of gravity of stone axe types and assemblages gradually shifted to the Central Plains and the Fen River Valley. Finally, the genealogy spread to the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains and declined. (3) The types of stone axes from the late Yangshao period and the middle and late Longshan periods exhibit a clear shift, highlighting their functional differentiation during these periods. (4) The production of stone axes can be categorized into two modes based on the raw stone material used: (a) and (b). The metallization of tools, even during the so-called Bronze Age, experienced significant delays, and it was only during the Yinxu era that bronze axes began to replace some of the stone axes produced in mode (b). (5) The functional differentiation of axes and the transformation of the mode of production have played a role in inducing the emergence of social complexity and expediting its development to some extent.

Surf & Turf: The role of intensification and surplus production in the development of social complexity in coastal vs terrestrial habitats

Social complexity in coastal and terrestrial environments both emerge as forms of subsistence intensification on previous foraging patterns but take different trajectories because of differences in the spatial and temporal structure and density of harvestable biomass between the two ecozones. Norms and values surrounding standards of living motivate households to intensify production above what is needed for mere survival (i.e., surplus), which in turn has the effect of providing a buffer against unpredictable shortfalls and longer-term population-resource imbalances caused by population growth. Economies of scale introduced by increasing labor group size and differentiation as well as technology fund the production and consumption of surplus and drive the emergence of social complexity among foragers and cultivators alike.

A review of dentist-related issues through Constitutional Court decisions

The Constitution is the supreme law of the Republic of Korea which defines the fundamental rights of Korean citizens and provides the establishment and operations of the government. When the public authorities infringe on someone's fun-damental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, the person directly involved can file a constitutional complaint to the Constitutional Court. Today, the possibility of conflict of fundamental rights is increasing with the increasing number of legislation or amendment of laws, and the development of social complexity and human rights awareness. Thus, we need to take an active interest in protecting our basic rights.In this article, we will present a brief explanation of the constitutional complaint and types of decisions of the Constitu-tional Court with some cases which affected dentists after the decisions of the Constitutional Court.

USING RADIOCARBON DATA TO CHRONOLOGICALLY CONTROL POPULATION DENSITY ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECTED INTRA-SETTLEMENT DISTRIBUTIONAL DATA

ABSTRACTPopulation density is an important variable in the development of social complexity. Estimating population densities from the archaeological record requires combining estimates of population, area, and time. Archaeological population estimates tend to be reported as a maximum population derived from the total accumulation of discrete archaeological material types, usually ceramics or radiocarbon (14C) dates. However, given the palimpsest nature of the archaeological record at recurrently occupied archaeological sites, these maximal, total estimates are, at best, a poor reflection of contemporaneous populations. I present a method for calculating average yearly population densities for occupations at a large, multicomponent site using a combination of distributional data and 60 14C dates. By employing this method at other sites in the same region, modeling intra-regional population dynamics at fine time scales will be possible.

Wealth inequality, social stratification, and the built environment in Late Prehispanic Highland Mexico: A comparative analysis with special emphasis on Tlaxcallan

Beginning in the last century, archaeologists became interested in the development of social complexity. Since that time, the basic concept of states and complex societies has been defined by rigid social stratification, extreme wealth inequality, and political centralization. However, recently, landscape approaches, household archaeology, city-states, and “alternative pathways to complexity” have begun to make inroads in developing a more robust approach to premodern states. Specifically, anthropological theory has advanced significantly with the incorporation of Collective Action, yet theoretical and empirically based studies of wealth inequality, social stratification, and the built environment in the archaeological literature are still limited. Therefore, in this paper, we seek to test the traditional definition of the state and complex societies using cases from Middle-Late Postclassic Highland Mexico (Central Mexico and Oaxaca), especially the case of Tlaxcallan. Using a comparative approach, we find that a stark division between public and private architecture and a compression of wealth inequality and social stratification, especially the absence of palaces, and a comparatively high degree of political centralization, marked the Tlaxcaltecan state. Accordingly, we conclude that theoretical approaches in archaeology must incorporate Collective Action Theory or other comparable approaches to effectively deal with real empirical variation in the past.

On complex archaeologies: conceptualizing social complexity and its potential for archaeology

This article surveys a number of approaches in complex systems thinking and their relevance for applications in the field of archaeology. It focuses in particular on the fundamental role of social interactions and information transmission as constituent elements for the development of organizational complexity on a community level. Given the impossibility of direct observations of these constituent interactions and practices, it is then outlined how this theoretical model can be applied on the material remains found in the archaeological record. It is discussed how material surroundings – including architectural structures and material objects – are used to shape and structure social interactions and practices in various ways. It is shown how complex organizational structures develop through underlying mechanisms of change such as diversification, connectivity and standardization, and how these can be applied in archaeological case studies. The presented framework will thus show how structures of social organization and development of social complexity can be inferred from the archaeological record.

Development of Social Complexity and First Generation States in the Korea-Manchuria Region

Early societies of the Korean peninsula experienced a variety of developmental forms ranging from simple social configurations to state-level organizations, with stark regional variation. Research on the social and political history of the peninsula prior to the tenth century must account for these regional variations, which frustrate attempts to create a general periodization applicable to the entire peninsula. This study advocates an approach that focuses on social development from the simple to the complex, and finally to the state-level organizations, using a variety of analytical indexes and taking into account the strong variability of social structures in different regions of the peninsula. Employing both archaeological and textual data as a basis, a provisional general periodization would first delimit the lithic periods (characterized by uniformity and simple social structures) from the so-called bronze period (in which social complexity begins to appear). The following phase from the third century BC to the third century CE was a period of accelerating social change and of first-generation state formation. Then from the fourth century we see a period of competing first-generation states. With the fall of Silla in 935, subsequent peninsular polities can be understood as regime transitions of nth -generation states, with more sophisticated modes of historiography now providing the mainstream analytical data.

Reconsidering ‘Tokens’: The Neolithic Origins of Accounting or Multifunctional, Utilitarian Tools?

The origin of record keeping is a key question in the development of social complexity and specialized economies, representing the first step towards the emergence of written communication. Yet the precursors of the world's earliest writing and its initial stages of development remain little understood. Small, geometric clay objects (‘tokens’) appear in the tenth millennium cal.bc, the start of the Neolithic in West Asia, prevailing into the first millennium. It is largely assumed that from their inception clay objects played a crucial role in record keeping, directly evolving into the world's earliest known writing. Utilizing new and previously unpublished Neolithic data comprising almost individually studied 3000 objects, accompanied by information from 56 further Neolithic sites, this article investigates the meaning of Neolithic ‘tokens’. Analysis proves the basis of their predominant interpretation to be incorrect; clay objects appear earlier than previously recognized and arenota necessary component of Neolithic agro-pastoral villages. ‘Tokens’ were multi-functional artefacts; even within a single site clay objects performed multiple roles. Though likely used in simple counting activities, this was not limited to the accounting of agricultural produce. Nor was counting the sole function of clay objects in the Neolithic. Clay objects were notcreatedto administer agricultural produce and there is no evidence to suggest that in the Neolithic they formed part of a unified symbolic system.

Research on the Cultivation of College Students' Environmental Adaptability based on Entrepreneurial Orientation

With the development of social complexity and information technology, the cultivation of environmental adaptability plays an important role in the development of college students' comprehensive ability. Under the background of economic and social transformation, deepening the reform of higher education and innovationdriven development, entrepreneurship oriented education in colleges and universities is an important way to deepen higher education teaching reform and cultivate students' innovative spirit and practical ability. The cultivation and education of entrepreneurial orientation for college students' environmental adaptation ability is helpful to lay the educational conditions for the cultivation of entrepreneurial talents in colleges and universities and to provide strong support for the cultivation of college students' environmental adaptation ability.

Along the Margins? The Later Bronze Age Seascapes of Western Ireland

This article presents the results of multi-scalar investigations into the Later Bronze Age (LBA; 1500–600bc) landscape of Inishark in County Galway, Ireland. The European LBA along the Atlantic coast was characterized by the development of long-distance maritime exchange systems that transformed environmentally marginal seascapes into a corridor of human interaction and movement of goods and people. Archaeological survey, test excavation, and radiocarbon analysis documented the LBA occupation on Inishark. The communities living on Inishark and other small islands on the western Irish coast were on the periphery of both the European continent and of the elite spheres of influence at hillforts in Ireland; yet they were connected to the Atlantic maritime exchange routes. A focus on small coastal islands contributes to a better understanding of LBA socioeconomic systems and the development of social complexity in Bronze Age societies.

Ceramic Vessel Production and Use at Early Bronze Age Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath

Previous articleNext article No AccessARTICLESCeramic Vessel Production and Use at Early Bronze Age Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/GathJon Ross and David Ben-ShlomoJon Ross Search for more articles by this author and David Ben-Shlomo Search for more articles by this author Jon Ross is a PhD candidate at the University of Manitoba. His research focuses on ceramic technology and its relation to the social and economic organization of early farming societies and the development of social complexity. He is currently investigating the manufacture of Early Bronze Age pottery from Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath, using the chaîne opératoire method to understand how potmaking was organized in an early urban community.David Ben-Shlomo is an associate professor at the Department of the Archaeology and Land of Israel Studies at Ariel University. His main research interests are southern Levantine archaeology of the Bronze and Iron Ages, ancient iconography, and the analytical study of pottery and ceramic materials employing petrographic analysis. He has been conducting petrographic analysis on the Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath pottery for the past fifteen years.PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Near Eastern Archaeology Volume 80, Number 4December 2017 A journal of ASOR Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5615/neareastarch.80.4.0273 Views: 35Total views on this site Copyright 2017 American Schools of Oriental ResearchPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

The Regional History of the Guan River Valley, China: Cultural Periphery, Ecological Diversity, and the Development of Social Complexity before A.D. 220

ABSTRACTRegional settlement pattern studies in China have overlooked interregional interaction in the development of social complexity. This study examines settlement patterns, land use practices, sociopolitical structure, and interregional interaction from 4000 b.c. to the early Imperial period (before a.d. 221) in the Guan River valley, China. The Guan valley is located at the inter-montane corridor to three cultural core zones in China. An international collaborative team used regional full-coverage survey to locate 96 sites in 135 km2 in the Middle Guan valley, the earliest of which dated to the middle Yangshao period (4000–3500 b.c.). In the late Yangshao period (3500–2900 b.c.), occupation increased rapidly and expanded to the upper reach and tributaries of the river. After an occupational collapse during the Early States period (1900–771 b.c.), the population recovered rapidly and reached a new level of organizational complexity in the Eastern Zhou period (770–221 b.c.). This pattern continued into the Qin-Han period (220 b.c.–a.d. 220), when hamlets increased in number and expanded into hilly areas.

Ideología y Poder en el Arte del Manejo Antiguo del Agua

Los templos y monumentos de Copán están repletos de símbolos del agua y de sustento, ambas fuerzas importantes en el desarrollo de complejidad social a través de la región y prevalente en toda Mesoamérica. Nuestro trabajo revela que los sistemas de agua manejados en Copán y áreas circundantes de Honduras tienen una historia larga y se manifiestan en diversas formas. Además de funciones prácticas, desde irrigación hasta el almacenamiento de agua, las fuentes y sistemas de agua tenían numerosos usos religiosos. Discutiremos cómo se concebía, usaba y se representaba el agua en tiempos antiguos y las formas que en que creemos se utilizaba su carácter sagrado en el arte para elevar la autoridad política. Por medio de nuestras investigaciones sabemos que la organización comunitaria era importante para la operación exitosa del manejo de los sistemas antiguos de agua. Puede que algunos de estos métodos sean relevantes en los paisajes actuales para mejorar las condiciones de vida, asegurar la potabilidad del agua y mejorar las cosechas.

Water Management and the Political Economy of Chaco Canyon During the Bonito Phase (ca. AD 850–1200)

Agricultural intensification is widely assumed by archaeologists to have been a catalytic factor in the development of social complexity in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, between ca. AD 850 and 1200. In this perspective, water control technology resulted in surplus food production which was controlled by elites to finance the construction of massive buildings (“great houses”). However, recent fieldwork and archival research has been unable to substantiate this view of technological innovation promoting surplus agricultural production. An alternative explanation for economic growth is social transactions involving labor rather than food.

Chawin and Chavín: evidence of interregional interaction involving the Peruvian central highlands during the late Initial Period

This article introduces the archaeological site of Chawin Punta, located in the Chaupihuaranga Basin of Pasco, Peru. Surface investigations there have identified a late Initial Period civic-ceremonial center with large-scale public architecture and carved stone art that show stylistic links to Chavín de Huántar, Pacopampa, and Pampa de las Llamas-Moxeke. Surface ceramics from the nearby site of Condorai reveal additional connections to Kotosh and San Blas. The evidence for interregional interaction involving the Chaupihuaranga Basin challenges long-held assumptions that the Peruvian central highlands were marginal to the development of social complexity during the second and first millennia BC.

Geneza i rozwój nierówności społecznych w paradygmatach badawczych archeologii. Zarys problematyki

The article brings about an analysis of major conceptualizations of processes leading to the emergence and development of social complexity and inequality, which have been formulated within major paradigms of contemporary archaeology. The most significant contribution to these issues was offered by archaeologies inspired by functionalism and neoevolutionism. These attempts corresponded with an attempt to turn archaeology into a nomothetic discipline. Of different character were works inspired by Marxism, Neomarxism, and poststructuralism. They offered a valuable contribution to the conceptualization of the means of achieving social goals and performing social roles by different actors.

The Development of Social Complexity in Early Egypt. A View from the Perspective of the Settlements and Material Culture of the Nile Valley

The cemeteries of the southern Egyptian Nile Valley have for a long time taken up a major role in the reconstruction of the emergence of social complexity during the 5th and 4th millennia and of the early territorial state of Pharaonic Egypt. Whilst this data is very substantial and highly important, it has overshadowed other archaeological information that is equally significant and that actually challenges certain interpretations deriving only from mortuary data. This paper aims at considering archaeological evidence primarily derived from a number of settlements and from material culture of the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and until the Early Dynastic Periods to better balance and contextualise the mortuary evidence of these periods. It will discuss and interpret these on the background of current scholarship on material culture, interregional exchange and social complexity and will especially seek to answer questions concerning the socio-economic context of institutionalised leadership and its potential links to early kingship. The paper will also address the high degree of variability in archaeological data and thereby contribute to a growing scholarly consensus that Egypt’s path to civilisation and statehood followed a number of different, often unrelated, trajectories within a regionally variable cultural system in the Egyptian Nile Valley.

“Other” possibilities? Assessing regional and extra-regional dental affinities of populations in the Portuguese Estremadura to explore the roots of Iberia's Late Neolithic-Copper Age

The relationship between the development of social complexity in the Iberian Peninsula during the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE (Late Neolithic and Copper Age) and population movement has been a longstanding question. Biological affinity analyses were used to explore Iberian demographic dynamics, and specifically, to discern whether there is evidence for migration and gene flow between northwest African, eastern Mediterranean, and Iberian populations. Affinities based on comparisons of nonmetric traits from the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System were estimated among samples of burial populations from three key Late Neolithic-Copper Age sites in the Portuguese Estremadura: Cova da Moura (3700–2300BCE), Bolores (2800–2600BCE), and Pai Mogo I (2800–2600BCE). Results indicate: 1) the possibility of genetic exchange with African and other Mediterranean peoples, 2) some measure of population continuity over time in the Estremadura, and 3) possible local isolation of populations, given distinctive patterning at the site of Pai Mogo, located 23km north of Cova da Moura and Bolores.

An outline of recent studies on the Nigerian Nok culture

Until recently the Nigerian Nok Culture had primarily been known for its terracotta sculptures and the existence of iron metallurgy, providing some of the earliest evidence for artistic sculpting and iron working in sub-Saharan Africa. Research was resumed in 2005 to understand the Nok Culture phenomenon, employing a holistic approach in which the sculptures and iron metallurgy remain central, but which likewise covers other archaeological aspects including chronology, settlement patterns, economy, and the environment as key research themes. In the beginning of this endeavour the development of social complexity during the duration of the Nok Culture constituted a focal point. However, after nearly ten years of research and an abundance of new data the initial hypothesis can no longer be maintained. Rather than attributes of social complexity like signs of inequality, hierarchy, nucleation of settlement systems, communal and public monuments, or alternative African versions of complexity discussed in recent years, it has become apparent that the Nok Culture, no matter which concept is followed, developed complexity only in terms of ritual. Relevant information and arguments for the transition of the theoretical background are provided here.

In Surplus and in Scarcity: Agricultural Development, Risk Management, and Political Economy on ofu Island, American Samoa

AbstractMuch attention has been paid to the role of increased food production in the development of social complexity. However, increased food production is only one kind of agricultural process, and some changes in agronomic practices were geared toward stabilizing production or counteracting periodic shortfalls. The intersection between these latter strategies and sociopolitical development are poorly understood, while the long-term value of risk management strategies is often hypothesized but empirically not well demonstrated. We address these issues using recent archaeological data from the Samoan Archipelago, Polynesia. We investigate variability in, and the development of, one type of agricultural infrastructure: ditch- and-parcel complexes. In the context of Samoa’s high-volume rainfall, recurrent cyclones, and steep topography, these novel risk management facilities offered production stability and, by extension, long-term selective benefits to both emergent elites and the general populace. Their effectiveness against known hazards is demonstrated by hydrologicai modeling, while their long-term success is indicated by increased distribution and size over time. Additionally, based on their morphologies, funetional properties, chronology, and spatial patterning, we argue that this infrastructure could have been effectively used by emergent elites to gain political advantage, particularly in conjunction with environmental perturbations that created production bottlenecks or shortfalls.