[close] The American Southwest, because of the high degree of preservation and the unparalleled chronological control, is a classic natural laboratory for the testing of schemes concerning the evolution of culture. This volume brings together the combined efforts of twenty-six physical and behavioral scientists from a number of different disciplines. Using non-traditional techniques and different models, they attempt to understand the underlying processes and the historical events that account for the evolution of prehistoric Southwestern societies.While specific southwestern data is used for the test cases, the contributors to the seminar have gone beyond both the stage of describing basic temporal sequences and of defining broad types of behavioral patters, such as trade or warfare. They have utilized many of the concepts and techniques that were pioneered or enhanced by Santa Fe Institute scientists for exploring different types of complex adaptive systems, thereby providing new perspectives on prehistory. [close]