A general explanation of subsistence change: From hunting and gathering to food production

The Mesolithic of Atlantic Coastal Spain – a comparison with the Middle Ebro Basin

“…Population-resource imbalances appear to drive most of these changes -climatic fluctuations play only a minor role. We suggest that our data fit comfortably within a general model originally developed by Andrew Christenson (1980) and Richard Redding (1988) that describes and explains four sequential stages in the economic transformations with which all foragers faced with population-resource imbalances must contend. Some lead to the transition from foraging to domestication; others do not.…”

The Mesolithic of Atlantic Coastal Spain – a comparison with the Middle Ebro Basin

“…Population-resource imbalances appear to drive most of these changes -climatic fluctuations play only a minor role. We suggest that our data fit comfortably within a general model originally developed by Andrew Christenson (1980) and Richard Redding (1988) that describes and explains four sequential stages in the economic transformations with which all foragers faced with population-resource imbalances must contend. Some lead to the transition from foraging to domestication; others do not.…”

The Preceramic Period Site of Paloma, Peru: Bioindications of Improving Adaptation to Sedentism

“…Moseley (1986) may have somewhat overstated the importance of processing of small fish into meal as an economic foundation of large sedentary populations, though the need for storage of resources against El Nino years and at least one difficult season, is obvious. Redding (1988) suggests storage as one of the first responses to stress, but as we have seen, stress (NSIS) was decreasing, not increasing over time at Paloma. Nonetheless, storage was very important at Paloma judging by the over 500 pits excavated.…”

Population increase and environmental deterioration correspond with microlithic innovations in South Asia ca. 35,000 years ago

“…Population expansion and population pressure remain, as always, difficult processes to demonstrate for prehistoric time periods (35)(36)(37)(38). Whereas genetics offers a new tool through which to approach the topic, neither the genetic nor archaeological records for South Asia are currently sufficient to rule on the question of Late Pleistocene population dynamics with absolute certainty.…”

The Mesolithic of Atlantic Coastal Spain – a comparison with the Middle Ebro Basin

“…Population-resource imbalances appear to drive most of these changes -climatic fluctuations play only a minor role. We suggest that our data fit comfortably within a general model originally developed by Andrew Christenson (1980) and Richard Redding (1988) that describes and explains four sequential stages in the economic transformations with which all foragers faced with population-resource imbalances must contend. Some lead to the transition from foraging to domestication; others do not.…”

The Preceramic Period Site of Paloma, Peru: Bioindications of Improving Adaptation to Sedentism

“…Moseley (1986) may have somewhat overstated the importance of processing of small fish into meal as an economic foundation of large sedentary populations, though the need for storage of resources against El Nino years and at least one difficult season, is obvious. Redding (1988) suggests storage as one of the first responses to stress, but as we have seen, stress (NSIS) was decreasing, not increasing over time at Paloma. Nonetheless, storage was very important at Paloma judging by the over 500 pits excavated.…”

Population increase and environmental deterioration correspond with microlithic innovations in South Asia ca. 35,000 years ago

“…Population expansion and population pressure remain, as always, difficult processes to demonstrate for prehistoric time periods (35)(36)(37)(38). Whereas genetics offers a new tool through which to approach the topic, neither the genetic nor archaeological records for South Asia are currently sufficient to rule on the question of Late Pleistocene population dynamics with absolute certainty.…”

The Mesolithic of Atlantic Coastal Spain – a comparison with the Middle Ebro Basin

“…Population-resource imbalances appear to drive most of these changes -climatic fluctuations play only a minor role. We suggest that our data fit comfortably within a general model originally developed by Andrew Christenson (1980) and Richard Redding (1988) that describes and explains four sequential stages in the economic transformations with which all foragers faced with population-resource imbalances must contend. Some lead to the transition from foraging to domestication; others do not.…”

The Preceramic Period Site of Paloma, Peru: Bioindications of Improving Adaptation to Sedentism

“…Moseley (1986) may have somewhat overstated the importance of processing of small fish into meal as an economic foundation of large sedentary populations, though the need for storage of resources against El Nino years and at least one difficult season, is obvious. Redding (1988) suggests storage as one of the first responses to stress, but as we have seen, stress (NSIS) was decreasing, not increasing over time at Paloma. Nonetheless, storage was very important at Paloma judging by the over 500 pits excavated.…”

Population increase and environmental deterioration correspond with microlithic innovations in South Asia ca. 35,000 years ago

“…Population expansion and population pressure remain, as always, difficult processes to demonstrate for prehistoric time periods (35)(36)(37)(38). Whereas genetics offers a new tool through which to approach the topic, neither the genetic nor archaeological records for South Asia are currently sufficient to rule on the question of Late Pleistocene population dynamics with absolute certainty.…”