%0 Journal Article
%J Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory
%D 1998
%T Practical and Prestige Technologies: The evolution of material systems
%A Hayden, Brian
%K aggrandizer
%K design theory
%K prehistory
%K prestige
%K technology
%P 1-55
%V 5
%X Design theory provides a useful means for analyzing both practical and prestigetechnologies, although the goals and constraints of each are very different. Theaggrandizer model of prestige technology postulates that prestige-iterns wereessential elements in aggrandizer strategies and that prestige items emerged onlyunder conditions of sustainable food surpluses and included the mostimportant innovations of the last 30,000 years such as metal working, pottery,sophisticated art, and domesticated plants and animals. The aggrandizer modelalso accounts for the transformation of some prestige technologies intopractical technologies.