Coevolution of landesque capital intensive agriculture and sociopolitical hierarchy

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America • Vol/Iss. 15 (14) • PNAS license • • Published In • Pages: 3628-3633 •
By Sheehan, Oliver, Watts, Joseph, Gray, Russell D. , Atkinson, Quentin D.

Abstract

Using phylogenetic methods, this research examines the relationship between landesque capital intensive agriculture ("permanent changes to landscape, such as construction of terraces and irrigation canals"(3631)) , political complexity, and social stratification amongst 155 Austronesian-speaking societies. Researchers attempted to find an underlying causality between the above mentioned variables, which have already been shown to be cross-culturally related. Results of statistical testing are most consistent with their being no clear causal link between the tested variables. The researchers claim this demonstrates social complexity and the multifaceted nature of cultural evolution.

Samples

Sample Used Coded Data Comment
Austronesian-speaking societiesResearcher's ownGray et al. (2009) Language phylogenies reveal expansion pulses and pauses in Pacific settlement

Hypotheses (3)

HypothesisSupported
Social stratification and political complexity (representing hierarchy) will be consistent with a model that has landesque capital intensive agriculture as the dependent variable.Partially Supported
Landesque capital intensive agriculture (representing general intensive agriculture) will be consistent with a model that has social stratification and political complexity (representing hierarchy) as the dependent variable.Not Supported
Social stratification and political complexity (representing hierarchy) and landesque capital intensive agiriculture (representing general intensive agriculture) will be consistent with reciprocal relationship or with association due to another variable.Supported
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: matthew.g.roth  noah.rossen  anj.droe