Anthropology Without Informants : Collected Works in Paleoanthropology by L.G. Freeman

L.G. Freeman is a major scholar of Old World Paleolithic prehistory and a self-described "behavioral paleoanthropologist." Anthropology without Informants is a collection of previously published papers by this preeminent archaeologist, representing a cross section of his contributions to Old World Paleolithic prehistory and archaeological theory. A sociocultural anthropologist who became a behavioral paleoanthropologist late in his career, Freeman took a unique approach, employing statistical or mathematical techniques in his analysis of archaeological data. All the papers in this collection blend theoretical statements with the archeological facts they are intended to help the reader understand. Although he taught at the University of Chicago for the span of his 40-year career, Freeman is not well-known among Anglophone scholars, because his primary fieldwork and publishing occurred in Spain. He has, however, been a major player in Paleolithic prehistory, and this volume will introduce him to American achaeologists unfamiliar with his work. Foreword......Page 10 Preface......Page 16 Part 1: Toward a Working Theory......Page 22 One: Anthropology without Informants......Page 26 Two: A Theoretical Framework for Interpreting Archeological Materials......Page 40 Three: The Fat of the Land......Page 50 Part 2: An Overview of the Paleolithic......Page 62 Four: By Their Works You Shall Know Them......Page 66 Five: Paleolithic Polygons......Page 94 Part 3: The Lower Paleolithic......Page 108 Six: Torralba and Ambrona......Page 110 Seven: Were There Scavengers at Torralba?......Page 162 Part 4: The Middle Paleolithic......Page 180 Eight: Kaleidoscope or Tarnished Mirror?......Page 182 Nine: The Mousterian, Present and Future of a Concept......Page 218 Ten: Research on the Middle Paleolithic in the Cantabrian Region......Page 234 Part 5: Paleolithic Art......Page 258 Eleven: Meanders on the Byways of Paleolithic Art......Page 262 Twelve: The Many Faces of Altamira......Page 298 Thirteen: Techniques of Figure Enhancement in Paleolithic Cave Art......Page 316 Fourteen: The Cave as Paleolithic Sanctuary......Page 336 Fifteen: Caves and Art......Page 350 Part 6: The Benefits of Cooperation......Page 364 Sixteen: The Participation of North Americans and Spaniards in Joint Prehistoric Research in Cantabria......Page 366 Afterword......Page 380 Permissions......Page 384 Index......Page 388 L.G. Freeman is a major scholar of Old World Paleolithic prehistory and a self-described “behavioral paleoanthropologist.” Anthropology without Informants is a collection of previously published papers by this preeminent archaeologist, representing a cross section of his contributions to Old Work Paleolithic prehistory and archaeological theory. A socio-cultural anthropologist who became a behavioral paleoanthropologist late in his career, Freeman took a unique approach, employing statistical or mathematical techniques in his analysis of archaeological data. All the papers in this collection blend theoretical statements with the archeological facts they are intended to help the reader understand. Although he taught at the University of Chicago for the span of his 40-year career, Freeman is not well-known among Anglophone scholars, because his primary fieldwork and publishing occurred in Cantabrian, Spain. However, he has been a major player in Paleolithic prehistory, and this volume will introduce his work to more American Archaeologists. This collection brings the work of an expert scholar, to a broad audience, and will be of interest to archaeologists, their students, and lay readers interested in the Paleolithic era. L.G. Freeman is a major scholar of Old World Paleolithic prehistory and a self-described behavioral paleoanthropologist. Anthropology without Informant s is a collection of previously published papers by this preeminent archaeologist, representing a cross section of his contributions to Old Work Paleolithic prehistory and archaeological theory. A socio-cultural anthropologist who became a behavioral paleoanthropologist late in his career, Freeman took a unique approach, employing statistical or mathematical techniques in his analysis of archaeological data. All the papers in this collection blend theoretical statements with the archeological facts they are intended to help the reader understand. Although he taught at the University of Chicago for the span of his 40-year career, Freeman is not well-known among Anglophone scholars, because his primary fieldwork and publishing occurred in Cantabrian, Spain. However, he has been a major player in Paleolithic prehistory, and this volume will introduce his work to more American Archaeologists. This collection brings the work of an expert scholar, to a broad audience, and will be of interest to archaeologists, their students, and lay readers interested in the Paleolithic era. Toward a working theory Anthropology without informants A theoretical framework for interpreting archeological materials The fat of the land (partial) An overview of the paleolithic By their works you shall know them: cultural developments in the paleolithic Paleolithic polygons: voronoi tesserae and settlement hierarchies in cantabrian spain The lower paleolithic Torralba and ambrona: a review of discoveries Were there scavengers at torralba? The middle paleolithic Kaleidoscope or tarnished mirror? thirty years of mousterian investigations in cantabria The mousterian, present and future of a concept. (a personal view) Research on the middle paleolithic of the cantabrian region Paleolithic art Meanders on the byways of paleolithic art The many faces of altamira Techniques of figure enhancement in paleolithic cave art The cave as paleolithic sanctuary Caves and art: rites of initiation and transcendence The benefits of cooperation The participation of north americans and spaniards in joint prehistoric research in cantabria. "It is my sincere hope that this volume will be much read and reflected upon by new generations of American students of prehistoric archaeologists. Freeman's career is a model for long-term international collaboration, theoretical eclecticism, the centrality of field research, and the ability to 'dream big, ' but with a commonsense approach to the record and its limitations." Lawrence Guy Straus, Journal of Anthropological Research