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A Comment on Bettinger: Problems in Archaeological Interpretation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Frederick C. Munday  and
Thomas R. Lincoln
Frederick C. Munday
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801
Thomas R. Lincoln
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59801
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Abstract

Bettinger attempted to find out if change occurred in prehistoric land-use patterns in the Owens Valley, California, by comparing artifact and site distributions with those expected given Steward's ethnographic model for this area. Bettinger's conclusions are found to be faulty because they are contradictory, ignore other potential determinants of archaeological variability, and are based, in some instances, on erroneous interpretation of poorly conceived or inadequate data. We discuss additional factors that should be considered and possible interpretation of Bettinger's results.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 1979 , pp. 345 - 351
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1979

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