Title: Social Interaction and Stylistic Similarity: A Reanalysis**This is a slightly revised version of a paper entitled kThe inference of prehistoric social organization from ceramic design variability, 11 Michigan Discussions in Anthropology 1, 1-47 (1976).
Abstract: This chapter focuses on the social interaction and stylistic similarity. The approaches that have been used in analyzing stylistic variability to derive information concerning prehistoric social organization are each dependent on one or more of a set of assumptions concerning the formation of the archaeological record, the learning of techniques of ceramic manufacture and decoration, the producers of the pottery, and the causes of the variability in the distribution of stylistic elements. The measurement of similarity between designs in different spatial units has been extended to the analysis of groups of communities. Data have been presented recently that also question the assumption that women learn techniques of pottery manufacture and design from other women of their social group. Criticisms of the interpretations of archaeological patterns suggested by the design studies can be grouped into two types: those that provide alternative explanations of the patterns, but assume that only a single period of time is being dealt with, and those that argue that the patterns may be due to temporal differences in parts of the data set.
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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