Early Cultural Developments and Adaptations in Hunter/Gatherer Communities: A Case Study from Keatley Creek on the Canadian Plateau

Summary

The emergence of socio-economically complex hunter/gatherer communities has been identified as one of the most critical theoretical issues in the study of early cultural evolution. In North America, one key geographical area for studying the emergence of complex hunter/gatherer societies has been the Northwest Coast and Plateau. The village site of Keatley Creek, one of the largest sites of complex hunter/gatherers in Western Canada, has featured prominently in understanding the emergence and evolution of socioeconomically complex hunter/gatherers. Research has been conducted at the site since 1986, representing one of the longest running research programs for any site in Canada. Models of population dynamics and the evolution of the village site are undergoing re-evaluation in the current research program. The specific timing and conditions surrounding the emergence, evolution and organization of early cultural developments have been the focus of some debate. This paper discusses key aspects of the updated methods and results as applied to specific complex and fine-grained stratigraphic contexts, and how this has advanced insights and understanding of the initial stages of village development, and the co-evolution of ritual structures and social complexity. The results have implications and utility for investigations of hunter/gatherer adaptations elsewhere in the world.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

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