Overview

Within the last three decades, foraging theory has established itself as a major cornerstone for both archaeological and ethnographic hunter-gatherer research. Until now, however, no introductory treatment has presented the subject in a form that was quantitatively explicit and yet easy to follow. Designed as an introduction to undergraduate and graduate students new to the subject, and as a refresher for professionals seeking to broaden their command, Hunter-Gatherer Foraging: Five Simple Models presents the five foraging models that lend themselves best to hunter-gatherer application: diet breadth, linear programming, front- versus back-loaded resources, technological investment, and field processing. Each chapter begins with a hypothetical hunter-gatherer problem and takes the reader through the steps needed to state such problems in quantitative form and solve them. Exercises (with answers) at the end of each chapter reinforce key concepts and methodology. From Reference and Research Book News . . . 'A pioneer of hunter-gatherer foraging theory, Robert Bettinger offers a primer on foraging models for students new to them, especially those with little mathematical training; he also addresses professional ethnographers, ethnologists, and archaeologists who know the principles but not the details of the models or how to apply them to specific cases. He covers diet breadth, optimal foraging with constraints (linear programming), front-loaded and back-loaded resources, technological investment, and field processing. All of these models have concrete test implications that invite application across a broad range of human behaviors. For each chapter he provides exercises and answers to them. There is no index.'

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9780979773136

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Reviews

This book would make an excellent accompaniment to many anthropology and archaeology courses, both at high school and college levels. [...] There is a lot of well-written material crammed into this little book! I highly recommend it for anyone interested not only directly with hunter-gatherer research, but for anyone who wonders how-we-know what we think we know about ancient day-to-day life. ' -- Bob Wishoff The Dirt Brothers (http://dirtbrothers.org/) 2010 This book is the first of its kind to provide a suite of tools applicable to many ethnographic and archaeological foraging problems. Anyone who considers themselves involved in human behavioral ecology should work through this book. It is certainly required for any student of the discipline, and as it finds its way into the classroom and onto the desks of practitioners, it is sure to become a classic.' -- Brian F. Codding, Stanford University California Archaeology 2.2 December 2010 ...could be used well as an adjunct or ancillary text for a number of different courses in quantitative methods, hunter-gatherers, or foraging economy...succeeds overall very well and very nicely in what it aims to do.' -- Robert Whallon, University of Michigan Journal of Anthropological Research 2010, Volume 66 ...an excellent primer on a group of models that, though not new, played an important role in the development of hunter-gatherer and ecological studies in anthropology that should be understood by all students. The examples, sample problems, and touch of humor as the models are explained make the book ideal for use in the classroom with either advanced undergraduates, graduate students, or for anyone wishing for a quick reminder of the match behind the models.' -- Susan K. Harris American Antiquity 76(1) 2011 ...useful for graduate seminars to teach details of how foraging societies maximize returns in manipulating the variability in resources of their exploitation territories.' -- Andrew B. Smith Journal of Human Evolution (Book Review Blog) October 2010 The volume is comparatively inexpensive for an academic book and anyone with a serious interest in hunter-gatherers, prehistoric subsistence, and resource provisioning will want to own a copy.' -- Mark E. Basgall, California State University Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology 2012

Author Information

Robert L. Bettinger, University of California, Davis, Davis, California

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