Introduction

Abstract

This volume of the Encyclopedia of Prehistory provides a cumulative index to the other eight volumes in the set. In addition to the index, there is also a Descent Table, which lists each tradition and its apparent descendants. Descent is based on time and location; that is, traditions following an earlier one in the same location are assumed to be descendants. In using this chart, however, one must realize that cultural descent from the earlier tradition is an assumption, not an established fact, and may be meaningless from the point of view of the prehistoric peoples themselves and the way they viewed ancestry and descent. Also in this volume is a Relative Age Table, which lists the traditions in order of their antiquity. Finally, there is a Random Sample Table, which lists the traditions in random order. These three tables are offered as potentially useful tools for comparative research using the archaeological traditions presented in the previous eight volumes.