Developing an Ecological Interpretation of Land Use in Virginia’s Piedmont: The Montpelier Example

Author(s): Stefan F. Woehlke

Year: 2016

Summary

                Human Behavioral Ecology (HBE) provides an intriguing opportunity for the interpretation of plantation management strategies. HBE has been applied with some interesting results to interpretations of past human behavior, but many claim it is inappropriate to interpret past life through the application of economic theory developed in the modern era. This approach is also criticized as a reductionist analytical approach based in conservative microeconomic theory. In light of these criticisms, I argue that HBE models are an important approach that can improve our understanding of plantation management strategies and shifting land-use patterns because they are based in the economic theories embraced by plantation owners during the rise of the modern era.

Cite this Record

Developing an Ecological Interpretation of Land Use in Virginia’s Piedmont: The Montpelier Example. Stefan F. Woehlke. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434363)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 866