Nomadic altenative

Will nomadism ultimately disappear as a normal concomitant of social evolution? Or is it a valid system of ecological adaptation, and as such destined to persist wherever it constitutes the optimal response to environmental and socioeconomic challenges?

The papers of this volume, no less than the subsession of the IXth ICAES of which they formed the basis, deal with these questions in their exploration of the manifold aspects of the nomadic way of life in a context of changing circumstances. Several of the authors explore the feasibility of a directed transition from the nomadic to the sedentary mode of life, the significance to this process of active support from neighboring sedentary populations, as well as successes obtained through material and organizational assistance from the state. In contrast, their view is questioned by those contributors who maintain that the nomadic way of development of stratification, authority, and power; while others deal with the symbiosis of nomads and sedentary populations. Substantial attention is given to cognitive determinants of nomadic culture, those

life continues to offer viable and successful answers to specific situational challenges, and who, therefore, would grant nomadism a position of permanence among socioeconomic modes of adaptation. Several authors contribute to the debate in the form of case studies on ethnogenesis; the role and which lie outside ecology, economics, and politics. The traditional forms of nomadism may, in fact, disappear. However, an important point is raised in this volume: it is perhaps possible that the inherent adaptability and mobility which characterizes nomadism might well proliferate into successful variants and alternatives within advanced modern social systems which are predicated to a large measure on just these elements.