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You might have 30 people who live together; but even just to avoid inbreeding, their social milieu would likely include a handful of other bands with nearby ter
by cimmanom 8y ago
You might have 30 people who live together; but even just to avoid inbreeding, their social milieu would likely include a handful of other bands with nearby territory. Thus any given persons social ties could very reasonably number in the low 3 figures.
- Bartweiss 8y agoYep, exactly. Lieberman ought to more than I do, but his argument that "150 connections" can't be selected for because pre-agricultural bands were smaller seems ridiculous. Most fundamentally, because 150 doesn't have to be directly selected for; it's a consequence of working memory that might be valued for unrelated reasons. But more directly, because "bands of 30-50" is not "only knowing 30-50 people". Bands were usually extended family groups, so the value of maintaining personal relationships outside of those groups is obvious. Honestly, the best I can work out is that Lieberman is a few decades out of date on his understanding of how pre-agricultural groups interacted.