Qualitative Systems Theory: Its Utility and Limitations

Qualitative systems theory as used by most archaeologists poses significant methodological difficulties. It is a valuable heuristic device, but it does not unambiguously specify the qualitative dynamic behavior of a system. One possible alternative is to cast relations into approximate quantitative form and then to solve the resulting equations either directly or through computer simulation. Even if relations and parameters cannot be specified with any exactitude, clear qualitative statements can often be made about the system, e.g., that it is unstable. This methodology is applied to Flannery's model of the origin of agriculture in the Tehuacan Valley, utilizing known archaeological sequences of population, density, dietary shifts, and relative yield.