Hunter‐gatherer populations and archaeological inference

Abstract Human local populations differ in the extent to which social relationships are diffused over large areas or are condensed into semi‐discrete clusters. This dimension of structuring is reflected in the amounts of local genetic variability, of dialect variability, and in stylistic variability of archaeological remains over the area. Because of the nature of the resources exploited, hunter‐gatherers have a very diffuse patterning of social relationships, resulting in little genetic differentiation (low inbreeding) and stylistic uniformity in artefacts over large areas.