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Volatile Climate Conditions Cahokia: Comment on Benson, Pauketat and Cook 2009

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Kevin C. Nolan  and
Robert A. Cook
Kevin C. Nolan
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, Anthropology, 174 W. 18th Avenue. 4034 Smith Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (nolan.117@buckeyemail.osu.edu, cook.526@osu.edu)
Robert A. Cook
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University, Anthropology, 174 W. 18th Avenue. 4034 Smith Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (nolan.117@buckeyemail.osu.edu, cook.526@osu.edu)
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Abstract

The rapidly growing archaeological literature on Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) reconstructions (e.g., Benson et al. 2007; Cooper 2008; Stahle et al. 2007) demonstrates the significant gains that can be made in explaining cultural developments in prehistory when appropriate climate data are available. Benson et al. (2009) added to this literature with an analysis of the climatic conditions associated with peak social complexity in the American Bottom. They focus on abundance of precipitation. We applaud their effort and offer an additional perspective on the development of social complexity using the same data, by highlighting the importance of variability in conditioning complexity.

Resumen

Resumen

El rápido crecimiento de las reconstrucciones del Índice de Severidad de Sequía de Palmer (PDSI por sus siglas en ingles) en la bibliografía arqueológica (e.g., Benson et al. 2007; Cooper 2008; Stahle et al. 2007) muestra los significativos avances que podemos hacer en la explicación del desarrollo cultural prehistórico siempre y cuando los apropiados datos climatológicos estén disponibles. La contribución de Benson et al. (2009) consistió en un análisis de las condiciones climatológicas asociadas al apogeo de la complejidad social en el American Bottom. En este caso, ellos se enfocaron en el impacto de la abundante precipitación. Aplaudamos su intento y ofreceremos una perspectiva adicional sobre el desarrollo de la complejidad social usando los mismos datos pero enfocados a la importancia de la variación para la formación de la complejidad.

Type
Comments
Information
American Antiquity , Volume 75 , Issue 4 , October 2010 , pp. 978 - 983
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 2010

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