Reference on Cultural Evolution/Memes

Matthew Hill (mhill@WATARTS.UWATERLOO.CA)
Fri, 6 May 1994 09:55:30 -0400

The current MAN (n.s. 29, no. 1- March 1994) has a article

Tschauner, Hartmut
Archaeological systematics and cultural evolution: retrieving the
honour of culture history

which may be of interest to the memeophiles and cultural evolutionists
among us, though not to them alone. Tschauner makes some thought-provoking
observations which lead me to reconsider a number of points I had thought
settled decades since.
His consideration of the existence of natural units in biological and
archaeological classification can be usefully supplemented by Roy Ellen's
review in the same number of Berlin's 'Ethnobiological Classification'.

Matthew Hill

p.s. James Carrier's review of Lamonts 'Money, Morals and Manners' is
well worth reading too.

p.p.s. After writing this I read primo memeophile Mizrach's announcement
of temporary departure. I found one point there most illuminating.
If I had thought about it he does sound like a mac-user. Perhaps we should
all reveal our machine of choice.