This article employs archaeoethnology to investigate possible patterns of synchronous population growth among cities of the prehistoric New World. The author finds a pattern of settlement synchrony distinct from a pattern found in the prehistoric Old World, suggesting that global climate change may not be a key factor in understanding settlement synchrony. Macroregional political and economic processes such as long-distance trade are offered as partial explanations of settlement synchrony in the New World.

Using the ethnographic record, this study develops and tests the idea that community permeability may be used as an archaeological predictor of warfare. With the exception of pastoral societies, community permeability predicts warfare.

This article tests for universal patterns in cultural evolution by Guttman scaling on two different worldwide samples of archaeological traditions and on well-known archaeological sequences. The evidence is generally consistent with universal evolutionary sequences.

This study replicates John L. Fischer's (1961) cross-cultural analysis to demonstrate the correlation between art styles and social hierarchy and postmarital residence. The author suggests that archaeological ceramics might be used to predict social characteristics of prehistoric societies.

This study replicates John L. Fischer's (1961) cross-cultural analysis to demonstrate the correlation between art styles and social hierarchy and postmarital residence. The author suggests that archaeological ceramics might be used to predict social characteristics of prehistoric societies.

This study replicates John L. Fischer's (1961) cross-cultural analysis to demonstrate the correlation between art styles and social hierarchy and postmarital residence. The author suggests that archaeological ceramics might be used to predict social characteristics of prehistoric societies.

This study replicates John L. Fischer's (1961) cross-cultural analysis to demonstrate the correlation between art styles and social hierarchy and postmarital residence. The author suggests that archaeological ceramics might be used to predict social characteristics of prehistoric societies.

An extension of the author's 1993 study, An Archaeological Correlate of War, this study examines the relationship between community permeability and war in the ethnographic record using Naroll's study on household and population as a model with the aim of making inferences to the archaeological record.

This article investigates whether trade with a world-system influences descent and residence rules in non-state societies. Data suggest that involvement in the capitalist world economy is associated with matrilineal forms of descent and residence, likely because men will be encouraged to leave their communities to participate in trade labor.

This article investigates whether trade with a world-system influences descent and residence rules in non-state societies. Data suggest that involvement in the capitalist world economy is associated with matrilineal forms of descent and residence, likely because men will be encouraged to leave their communities to participate in trade labor.