Evolutionary Archaeologies: New Approaches, Methods, and Empirical Sufficiency

Over the past decade, methodological advances and the expansion of the application of evolutionary frameworks have led to critical insights into a host of anthropological and archaeological problems. Enduring topics in evolutionary archaeology such as cultural transmission and population dynamics are benefiting from these new methodologies. Concurrently, expanding evolutionary models seek to explain specific human interactions and historic processes through the study of material culture. The papers in this symposium display the breadth of current archaeological research that engages with a range of evolutionary models, from the influence of cognitive biases in social learning and the impacts of population dynamics on cultural diversity to how optimal foraging and signaling models can help archaeologists tease apart the historical dynamics behind social practices. Our papers demonstrate how different evolutionary models are aiding archaeologists in teasing apart the dynamics behind assemblages in diverse contexts, ranging from the Classic Maya to enslaved plantation workers.