Site structure, kinship, and sharing in Aboriginal Australia: implications for archaeology

Abstract

Interactions between and among individuals in hunter-gatherer societies contribute fundamentally to the adaptiveness of the culture. Through the analysis of site structure (the distribution on the landscape of habitations, activity areas, refuse areas, and other features), it is possible to make inferences about past social interaction, thus enabling archaeology to make a significant contribution to the study of prehistoric cultural adaptations and dynamics. This study seeks to clarify one aspect of site structure spacing between households. Our study examines the relationship between kinship distance and physical distance at a Pintupi encampment in the Western Desert of Australia. It examines a variety of kin relationships and identifies kinship links associated with the most pronounced spatial patterning. We argue that kinship and economic interdependence provide the best insights into the reasons for observable habitation patterning in a site. -from Authors