Technological Choices: Transformation in Material Cultures Since the Neolithic

Technological Choices deals with the adoption or rejection by a society of certain technological innovations and the cultural processes which results in this selection. It demonstrates that in any society, such choices result from cultural values and social relations, rather than inherent benefits in the technology itself. This revolutionary viewpoint has crucial implications for current western societies. The book is based on case studies covering a wide chronological and geographic span Technological Choices breaks new ground by the breadth of its scope and its multidisciplinary approach, and by its very emphasis on choice. It is also unusual in its focus on the functional aspects of material culture. Technological Choices will be of great interest to students of archaeology and anthropology and the history of technology. It will also be valuable reading for economists and social historians.