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Wednesday, April 11, 2001
Prof Excels at Hunting Up Info
By Olivier Uyttebrouck
Journal Staff Writer
Archaeologist Lewis Binford has devoted the 10 years since he left the University of New Mexico to explaining the differences among the world's hunter/gatherer societies.
Binford plans to showcase his ideas in a book, "Constructing Frames of Reference," scheduled for publication this month by the University of California Press.
A distinguished professor of anthropology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Binford plans to start a research institute there to expand on ideas he developed while writing his book.
"There's an awful lot of provocative stuff in there," Binford said recently. "There's enough to keep a lot of people busy for a while."
Binford drew from field work and historical records to compare about 350 hunter/gatherer societies. His theory addresses differences among those societies in group size, daily routines, leadership, family relationships, mobility and camping patterns.
The theory also tries to explain what motivates a hunter/gatherer society to develop agricultural practices, he said. And it proposes a relationship between the group's mobility and size.
Larger groups must move more to find sufficient food. New groups splinter off in an attempt to reduce their need to move, he said.
"As population grows, the number of groups increases and ultimately the region gets packed," he said.
Binford has written 18 books.
He began at UNM in 1968 as an associate professor in anthropology. From 1984-91 he served as a distinguished professor. He joined the SMU faculty in 1991.
If there's a former newsmaker you would like us to track down, contact Ellen Marks at 823-3842 or emarks@abqjournal.com.