Simulating Springwells: a Complex Systems Approach Toward Understanding Late Prehistoric Social Interaction in the Great Lakes Region of North America
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SIMULATING SPRINGWELLS: A COMPLEX SYSTEMS APPROACH TOWARD UNDERSTANDING LATE PREHISTORIC SOCIAL INTERACTION IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION OF NORTH AMERICA By Jon William Carroll A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Anthropology - Doctor of Philosophy 2013 ABSTRACT SIMULATING SPRINGWELLS: A COMPLEX SYSTEMS APPROACH TOWARD UNDERSTANDING LATE PREHISTORIC SOCIAL INTERACTION IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION OF NORTH AMERICA By Jon William Carroll This dissertation examines the nature of Springwells phase (ca. A.D. 1160 to 1420) sociopolitical interaction and integration during the Late Prehistoric period (post A.D. 1000) in the Great Lakes region of North America. Combined ceramic analysis and computer simulation employing Agent Based Modeling (ABM) supports the interpretation that Springwells phase communities were organized in a form of sociopolitical integration most readily recognized as a loose confederation or interactive network of middle range, tribal societies spanning a broad area. The interpretation presented here differs from those in previous work in that it characterizes tribal sociopolitical organization as the embodiment of a complex system as outlined by the complexity science literature. A revised ceramics typology expands the resolution of the original Springwells phase ceramic typology, thus inserting a more fine-grained understanding of common stylistic design elements. This expanded taxonomy allows for increased resolution relating to the geographic distributions of Springwells stylistic motifs. Agent Based Modeling is then used to explore changes in relationships between cultural transmission (CT) and interactional exchange scenarios. A complexity science approach attributes the overall characteristics of the Springwells social network to emergent properties generated by individual agents that scale up and become recognizable at a system level. The advent of Late Prehistoric social complexity in the form of tribalization is seen as a social response to widespread political developments in the region. ABM is seen as an important new analytic tool through which to explore the parameters of past social behaviors. Copyright by JON WILLIAM CARROLL 2013 Dedicated to Sabian, Annie, Squeaky and Daisy, the best family that anyone could ask for. “Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.” -Epistemological advice from my father, Barry T. Carroll, paraphrasing Ben Franklin, circa A.D. 1980. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my dissertation committee for their ongoing guidance and support: Dr. William A. Lovis (Chair), Dr. Jodie A. O’Gorman, Dr. John W. Norder, and Dr. Joseph P. Messina. I will never be able to repay them for their expertise and patience. Dr. Robert V. Riordan also deserves thanks, as he has been extremely influential in helping me focus my archaeological interests. I would also like to thank my family: Jayne Parker, Barry Carroll and Abbey Fenton, Kim Morewood and family, Craig Carroll and family, Parker Stephenson, as well as the Fenton family. Encouraging friends vital to dissertation completion include: Sophie, Stacey and Joe Messina, Robert Klepinger, Christopher Royse and family, Michael Loechel and family, Jorge Harada and family, Govind Koka, Ken Applin and family, Denis and Melissa Mutter, Doug Brokaw and Family, Shawn Fields and Family, John Norder and Heather Howard, Igor, Ghada and Noah Vojnovic, Bill Welsh, Duane Quates, Charlotte Cable, Don Gaff, Christine Stephenson, Jubin Cheruvelil, My band, Lithium Seven: Jim Armstrong/Shawn Gormley/Soren and Nichole Gormley, The Enablers (also my Band): Paul Delamater/Chris Barber/Mike Schwartz and family/Chad Fizzell and family. As an aside, I would like to posit that The Enablers may be the most educated working bar band in history. Four members successfully completed doctoral programs in various disciplines; well done, men. I need to convey gratitude to those institutions and/or individuals that have provided financial support over the years: MSU Department of Anthropology, MSU Department of Geography, MSU American Indian Studies Program, Booz | Allen | Hamilton, Inc., 96 TG/OL- AC/SURVIAC at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and Kevin Crosthwaite/Donna Egner, David vi Skole, Jiaguo Qi, Bill Lovis, Joe Messina, Igor Vojnovic, Lynne Goldstein, Jodie’ O’Gorman, Susan Applegate Krouse, Jennifer Olson, Nathan Moore, Eastern Michigan University Department of Geology and Geography and Bill Welsh. Institutions and/or individuals that provided archaeological collections access include: Michigan State University Department of Anthropology and Bill Lovis, University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology and Karen O’Brien/John O’Shea, Ontario Ministry of Culture and Shari Prowse, University of Windsor Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology and Rosemarie Denunzio, IPFW Archaeological Survey and Bob McCullough, The Windsor Chapter of the Ontario Archaeological Society, The State of Michigan Office of the State Archaeologist, The Gravlin-Tomlinson Family of Oscoda, Michigan, The Castle Museum and Jeff Sommer, Central Michigan University Museum of Cultural and Natural History. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER I .................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Questions of Anthropological Significance ............................................................................ 2 Project Research Design and Methodological Contribution ............................................... 3 Research Objectives ............................................................................................................ 5 Context of Research ................................................................................................................ 6 Why Springwells? ............................................................................................................... 6 Alternative Methods for Interpreting Small Datasets ......................................................... 7 Organization of Volume ......................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER II ................................................................................................................................. 10 Theoretical Perspectives ........................................................................................................... 10 The Interplay between Social Exchange & Social Interaction ............................................. 10 Social Exchange Theory ....................................................................................................... 12 Social Interaction Theory and Information Exchange Theory ............................................. 14 Cultural Transmission and the Diffusion of Innovations ...................................................... 16 Diffusion of Innovation..................................................................................................... 19 Complex Systems.................................................................................................................. 21 Leveraging Multiple Bodies of Theory................................................................................. 24 Applying Complex Systems Theory ................................................................................. 25 Applying Cultural Transmission (CT) Theory ................................................................. 26 Applying Diffusion of Innovations Theory ...................................................................... 26 Applying Information Exchange Theory .......................................................................... 26 A Multi-Theoretical Approach ......................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER III ............................................................................................................................... 28 The Spatial, Temporal and Geographic Contexts for Springwells Communities ..................... 28 Late Prehistoric Material Culture and Chronology ............................................................... 29 Chronology ....................................................................................................................... 31 Springwells Social, Political, and Economic Organization .................................................. 33 Sites Included in this Study................................................................................................... 39 Michigan Sites .................................................................................................................. 39 Casassa (20SA1021) ..................................................................................................... 39 Fletcher (20BY28) ........................................................................................................ 40 Fort Wayne Mound (20WN1) ......................................................................................