| culture | A means of human adaptation based on intelligence, experience, learning, and the use of tools; the general set of behaviors and knowledge that humans use to survive and adapt.
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| positivism | A philosophical view that the application of science and the evaluation of empirical evidence allow one to be objective.
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| systems theory | A method to explain the interaction of different variables within an organism or organization.
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| synchronic | Dealing with a moment in time, a single time period.
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| diachronic | Dealing with change over time, comparing two or more time periods.
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| Middle Range Theory | Used to describe a cultural system outside of a specific cultural context.
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| barrows | Earthen burial mounds.
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| deconstruction | A form of literary analysis used to show the differences between the structure of a text and basic Western concepts about the meaning of reality.
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| selectionist | School of archaeological theory that believes culture should be explained by natural selection and other Darwinian processes.
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| optimal foraging theory | Evolutionary ecology perspective based on efficient foraging strategies.
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| habitus | Unthinking dispositions and basic knowledge that constitute a practical cultural competence.
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| equifinality | A situation in which different initial conditions can lead to a similar end, making archaeological interpretation difficult.
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