Territoriality, Intertribal Boundaries, and Large Game Exploitation: Empirical Evaluation of a Spatial Bioeconomic Model of Conflict in the Western U.S.

Summary

Being a high-ranking prey item, large game are often desired for their economic and prestige values, both of which may be converted to an individual’s status. As such, big game can serve as a potential axis for competition between linguistic or ethnically distinct groups particularly under conditions of population stress leading to resource depression. This dynamic has been modeled using an evolutionary ecological approach that combines an amalgam of standard foraging models with the added cost of intergroup conflict (Bayham and Bayham 2016). This study identifies several archaeological correlates of the model and explores its empirical applicability and testability in various areas of western North America. We specifically focus on localities in northern California and adjacent regions which utilize large artiodactyls, have conflict with neighboring groups, and buffer zones. Preliminary results are promising and we suggest the model may prove beneficial in the construction of regional research designs.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Territorial Behavior and Ecology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14651