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Human behavioural ecology and Pacific archaeology
Author(s) -
DINAPOLI ROBERT J.,
MORRISON ALEX E.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
archaeology in oceania
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1834-4453
pISSN - 0728-4896
DOI - 10.1002/arco.5124
Subject(s) - subsistence agriculture , prehistory , ecology , human ecology , territoriality , archaeology , zooarchaeology , geography , anthropology , history , sociology , biology , agriculture
The diverse islands of Oceania are ideal locations for the study of human ecology. Here, we argue that human behavioural ecology (HBE) provides a useful theoretical framework to approach a range of topics in Pacific prehistory, including, but not limited to, subsistence, territoriality, and monumentality. We further stress that the strength of this approach lies in the use of models as heuristic devices, and that HBE is not mutually exclusive from other explanatory frameworks, but complements larger research agendas in Pacific archaeology.