In this session we aim to explore whether concepts of environmental legibility and landscape learning can be used effectively in: 1. interpreting the archaeological traces of prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities, and 2. predictive modelling. From the outset we acknowledge the partial nature of the archaeological record; that culture is not separate from nature; that humans are not separate from landscape and that archaeologists frequently deal with non-analogue landscapes (particularly when considering evolutionary timescales).
Environmental legibility and landscape learning are crucial in hunter-gatherer communities, influencing decision-making, resource use, and the embedding of ecological knowledge within social and spiritual contexts (as explored through multiple theoretical lenses e.g. Kelly 1995, Basso 1996, Ingold 2000). Simply put, environmental legibility refers to the ease with which people can read and navigate landscapes (Guiducci & Burke 2016; Schmuck et al 2022). The concept of landscape learning, arises from the idea that population movement into unfamiliar environments can have significant consequences (Rockman 2003, 2009, 2012).
Recent studies aligning with these themes suggest extended periods of human dependency during childhood allow time for complex skill development required for the hunting and gathering niche (Kaplan et al., 2000; Hewlett & Lamb, 2005). The transmission of social learning processes often involves play; and the cultural emphasis on individual autonomy and socio-political egalitarianism among hunter-gatherers, shapes knowledge transmission mechanisms (Boyette, 2018; Salali et al 2019). Thinking through these themes allows new perspectives of prehistoric peoples and landscapes (e.g. Hiscock 2014)
9:10am | Predicting and protecting lithic landscapes – understanding the distribution of lithics across Dartmoor, UK | Emma Stockley, Laura Basell, LS Bray, H. Chapman
9:35am | Exploring the interplay of environment and mobility in Pleistocene hunter-gatherers: a case-study from southern Ethiopia during MIS 3 | Valentina Decembrini & Enza E. Spinapolice
10:00am | “I know where I’m going”: Finding the way in Stone Age Africa | Laura Basell
Full paper abstracts available here: https://tag2024.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/tag-2024-session-abstracts-1.pdf
