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Basic Incompatibilities between Evolutionary and Behavioral Archaeology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael J. O'Brien ,
R. Lee Lyman  and
Robert D. Leonard
Michael J. O'Brien
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
R. Lee Lyman
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
Robert D. Leonard
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131
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Abstract

Schiffer (1996) recently proposed that, despite some incompatibilities, considerable common ground exists between behavioral archaeology and evolutionary, or selectionist, archaeology. He concludes that there is no fundamental reason why the two approaches cannot work in concert to explain human behavioral change. There are, however, several important reasons why the two programs, at least as currently conceived, cannot work together in any thoroughly integrated fashion. Although both programs employ inference, behavioral archaeology conflates the distinct roles of configurational and immanent properties, searches for nomothetic answers to questions about human behavior, overlooks historical contingency when inferring and explaining the nature of past behavior, and in some cases seems to fall back on vitalism as the mechanism of change. Evolutionary archaeology employs immanent properties inferentially, explicitly acknowledges the importance of the historical contingencies of configurational properties, explains human behavior as being time- and spacebound, and calls upon selection and drift (transmission) as the mechanisms of change. Any attempt to integrate the two approaches must begin by addressing these basic differences.

Résumé

Résumé

Schiffer (1996) recientemente ha propuesto que, a pesar de algunas incompatibilidades, existen considerables puntos en común entre la arqueología conductual y la arqueología evolucionista, o seleccionista. Concluye que no existen razones fundametales por las que estas dos perspectivas no puedan trabajar en conjunto para explicar los cambios del comportamiento humano. Existen, a pesar de todo, varias razones importantes por lo cual estas dos escuelas, al menos como se les ha concebido hasta ahora, no pueden trabajar juntas bajo ningún planteamiento integrado. Aunque las dos escuelas emplean inferencias, la arqueología conductual conjuga el papel distintivo de las propiedades configuracionales e imanentes, busca respuestas nomotéticas a las preguntas sobre el comportamiento humano, pasa por alto las contingencias históricas al inferir y explicar la naturaleza del comportamiento pasado, y en algunas casos parece recaer en el vitalismo como mecanismo del cambio. La arqueología evolucionista emplea inferencialmente las propiedades inmanentes, reconoce explicitamente la importancia de las contingencias históricas en la configuración de las propiedades, explica el comportamiento humano como único en un tiempo y espacio determinado, y considera a la selección y la transmisión como los mecanismos responsables del cambio. Cualquier intento de integral' estas dos escuelas debe comenzar por resolver estas diferencias básicas.

Type
Comment
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 63 , Issue 3 , July 1998 , pp. 485 - 498
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1998

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