Greater than the sum of its parts? Modelling population contact and interaction of cultural repertoires.

ABSTRACT: Evidence for interactions between populations plays a prominent role in the reconstruction of historical and prehistoric human dynamics; these interactions are usually interpreted to reflect cultural practices or demographic processes. The sharp increase in long-distance transportation of lithic material between the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, for example, is seen as a manifestation of the cultural revolution that defined the transition between these epochs. Here, we propose that population interaction is not only a reflection of cultural change but also a potential driver of it. We explore the possible effects of inter-population migration on cultural evolution when migrating individuals possess core technological knowledge from their original population. Using a computational framewor

SUBMITTER: Creanza N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5454306 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature