Understanding Complexity in the Prehistoric Southwest

Description

Editors:  Gumerman, George J. and Gell-Mann, Murray (1929-2019)

Publisher: Addison Wesley

Pub Date: 1994

Binding: Paperback

Condition: Fair.  Binding tight.  No tears, bends or folds.  Previous owner’s name on upper edge title page.  Very light edge and corner wear.  Appears unused.

Notes: Proceedings of the Santa Fe Institute Volume XVI, Studies in the Science of Complexity.   Conference papers.   “Adaptation  to changing circumstances, say on the part of a society, can take place on at least three levels, with three different time scales: (1) The society can adapt to certain changes by following the rules of a particular schema for behavior.  In response to a drought, a village may be moved to a higher elevation where more moisture is available.  Or the villagers may perform a ceremony believed to enhance the probability of rain.  Or both.  (2) A schema for the behavior of the society can be exchanged for a different one.  A new religion might be introduced with a different way of praying for rain.  New agricultural methods might be adopted.  (3) The society may disappear, carrying its unsuccessful schemata into extinction with it, while other societies, with other schemata, may survive.”  (Page 4)  Lots of archaeo-speak.  Gell-Mann won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1969, and was a co-founder of the Santa Fe Institute.