ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces some of the basics of hunter-gatherer mobility and considers various different types of mobility, and the range of sites produced by different movements through the landscape. It aims to consider a variety of issues surrounding mobility and how these may be relevant for us in understanding people in the past. Many groups actively resist trying to be forced or coerced into settling down. Moreover, formerly mobile hunting and gathering people who have been forced to settle down often describe their desire to still be mobile and say that it is the thing they miss the most about their previous lifestyle. The chapter considers some of the key analytical terms used by anthropologists, particularly the ideas of ‘residential’ and ‘logistical’ mobility, and explores why hunter-gatherers move: it is not simply about the acquisition of resources, although this is naturally a high priority.
