Describing and explaining the population growth trajectories of prehistoric hunter-gatherers is an important research problem. Large radiocarbon data sets provide one empirical starting point for describing these trajectories; however, explaining trajectories of growth must always take place within the context of theory. In this paper, we formalize a ratchet model of long-term, mean population growth among hunter-gatherers and evaluate the plausibility of that model using two extensive radiocarbon data sets from Central Texas and the Texas Coastal Plain. Our analysis suggests that hunter-gatherer populations in these regions displayed waves of population growth separated by periods of population saturation and competition for resources. Our model and results suggest that hunter-gatherer populations in Texas may have experienced multiple demographic transitions to successively higher levels of population saturation (carrying capacity). Our results derive from a general model, a set of methods applicable across archaeological regions, and provide a basis for hypotheses that may explain changes in the socioecology of hunter-gatherers.

描述和解释史前狩猎采集者的人口增长轨迹是一个重要的研究问题。大型放射性碳数据集为描述这些轨迹提供了一个经验起点；然而，解释增长轨迹必须始终在理论背景下进行。在本文中，我们正式建立了狩猎采集者长期平均人口增长的棘轮模型，并使用德克萨斯中部和德克萨斯沿海平原的两个广泛的放射性碳数据集评估该模型的合理性。我们的分析表明，这些地区的狩猎采集人口表现出人口增长的浪潮，其间存在人口饱和和资源竞争时期。我们的模型和结果表明，德克萨斯州的狩猎采集人口可能经历了多次人口转变，逐渐达到更高的人口饱和度（承载​​能力）。我们的结果来自一个通用模型，一套适用于考古区域的方法，并为可以解释狩猎采集者社会生态学变化的假设提供了基础。