ABSTRACT

One of the first uses of computer simulation in archaeology was to test a model for the subsistence activities of prehistoric hunter–gatherers in the Great Basin of North America (Thomas 1972). Since then, simulation has been used to examine many archaeological problems and past societies (e.g. Hodder 1978; Renfrew & Cooke 1979; Sabloff 1978), but the main focus of computer simulation in archaeology has remained with hunter—gatherer societies. This chapter makes a selective review of prehistoric hunter-gatherer simulations by focusing on four: those by Thomas (1972, 1973), Aldenderfer (1978), Reynolds (1986) and Mithen (1990). It compares and contrasts these studies, using them to examine trends in simulation work and, from this basis, identify the most promising directions for future studies. Since many readers may be unfamiliar with the discipline of archaeology and the nature of hunter—gatherer societies, I will provide a brief introduction to the archaeology of hunter—gatherers to place the simulation work in context. This background is critical, since an important issue is the extent to which the character of simulation models of prehistoric hunter—gatherers has been, and should be, conditioned by the particular nature of the archaeological database.