A tale of two technologies: Prehistoric diffusion of pottery innovations among hunter-gatherers

• Pottery follows diffusion of innovations model.
• S-shaped adoption curves for successful technology.
• Direct-rim pots appear at AD 1000 in Southern Owens Valley.
• Recurved pots appear in Death Valley at AD 1380.
• Direct-rim pots successfully diffuse, while recurved pots fail.

We examine the diffusion of a successful and an unsuccessful innovation among hunter-gatherers in the western Great Basin, using a diffusion of innovation model. Modern and historical studies on the diffusion of innovations suggest that diffusion processes follow S-shaped curves, with small numbers of early adopters, followed by more rapid uptick in the rate of diffusion as the majority adopt a technology, concluding again with small numbers of late-adopting laggards. Distributions of luminescence dates on surface-collected pottery sherds show that the technology had a long period of experimentation. Beginning about AD 1000, direct-rimmed pots were introduced in Southern Owens Valley and were used in small numbers over hundreds of years. Likewise, around AD 1350 pots with recurved rims were introduced in Death Valley and were also used in small numbers. Around AD 1550 the direct-rimmed technology diffused to the east, to China Lake and Death Valley, where it was rapidly adopted. By contrast, recurved-rim technologies were abandoned, a failed innovation. Our data suggest that prehistoric pottery diffusions follow a similar S-shaped curve, but that diffusion among hunter-gatherers happens at a much slower rate, over centuries instead of decades.

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