A comparative study of the developmental process of social complexity and hierarchy in pre-state stage societies

本研究比较了日本列岛和不列颠群岛社会复杂性和等级制度的发展过程，考察了1)定居模式的转变，2)埋葬制度和殡葬实践的转变，以及3)亲属关系/组织的转变。结果表明，不同的网络（拓扑）特征导致了日本列岛和不列颠群岛之间产生不同程度的集中化，从而导致了欧亚大陆边缘地区之间不同的社会发展轨迹。

This research project compared the developmental process of social complexity and hierarchy between the Japanese Archipelago and the British Isles by examining 1) the transformation of settlement patterns, 2) the transformation of burial systems and mortuary practices, and 3) the transformation of kin-relations/orgnisation. The outcomes were compared with that of the application of some social network analysis methods, and it was concluded that different network (topological) characteristics, resulting in the generation of different degrees of centralization between the Japaense Archipelago and the British Isles, led to the different trajectories of social development between those regions on the periphery of the Eurasian continent.