Subsistence settlement systems in the prehistory of Southwestern Zambia

Journal Article · Sun Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1986 · Hum. Ecol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00888306· OSTI ID:5404002

Vogel, J O

Humans participate in ecological systems as one means of extracting and distributing environmental resources. Such ecosystems manifest themselves in the archeological record. Settlement systems represent subsistence systems latent with information relevant to explaining the spatial organization of people and change through time. Three subsistence settlement systems were segregated from the record of prehistoric farmers in southwestern Zambia. One is associated with the practice of pioneer populations successively occupying and abandoning favored microenvironments. The second is associated with the cyclical swiddening of a few opportunities within a single microenvironment. The third set spreads centers of production throughout several environmental segments. It is suggested that swiddening the marginal soils of the Zambezi periphery enabled the colonization but did not permit a burgeoning population. It is further suggested that internal networks were crucial to equalization of access to necessary resources and that these were incorporated in the segmentary, descent group.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5404002
• Journal Information: Hum. Ecol.; (United States), Journal Name: Hum. Ecol.; (United States) Vol. 14:4; ISSN HMECA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
AFRICA
AGRICULTURE
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BIOLOGICAL ADAPTATION
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ECOSYSTEMS
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INDUSTRY
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
LAND REQUIREMENTS
LAND RESOURCES
LAND USE
POPULATION DYNAMICS
POPULATIONS
RAIN
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
ZAMBIA