It has been said that for 99 per cent of their cultural history human
societies have made their living through the collection of wild
resources. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that the study of
hunters and gatherers has become an increasingly popular and central
topic of research. Within archaeology it has created an international
focus for people working in many different areas of the world. At the
same time it has provided a meeting ground for a range of disciplines,
all concerned in one way or another with aspects of human behaviour.
However, analysis of the prehistoric record has inevitably lagged behind
the development of fresh theoretical perspectives. Hunter-gatherer
economy in prehistory seeks to bridge this gap by combining the
discussion of recent developments in ecological and social theory with
the analysis of prehistoric data from many of the classic areas of
palaeolithic studies in Europe.