ABSTRACT
Renfrew (1981) argues that the significant steps in cultural evolution, at least subsequent to the development of Homo sapiens sapiens, while always operating within the framework determined by the genes, are not elucidated by considerations of the genetic code, by roles of genetic inheritance or even, to any great extent, by analysis in terms of natural selection. He suggests that cultural evolution can be described in terms of individual/group models. In this model each individual possesses a mental map, or mappa, that includes a memory of past events and the potential for inferring future events. These individuals mappae can be merged to form a collective mappa for the group as a whole.
