Diffusionism is the theory about the development of cultures and technologies, particularly in ancient history. The theory holds that a given innovation will have been initiated within a specific culture, but that it would then 'diffuse' by various means from this starting point. The word theory has a number distinct meanings depending on the context. ... Look up Culture in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Wikinews has a related story: Culture and entertainment Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Cultural Development in Antiquity Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Culture and Civilization in Modern Times Classificatory system for cultures and civilizations, by Dr. Sam Vaknin Categories: Culture... Technology (Gr. ... Ancient history is from the period of time when writing and historical records first appear, roughly 5,500 BC. For some, the discovery of agriculture, roughly 6,000 BC, is the beginning of ancient history. ...

By means of diffusionism, a major innovation (such as the invention of the wheel) would be assumed to have been made in a particular time and place and then to have been passed on to nearby peoples through emulation, trade, military conquest or other means. The innovation thus slowly radiates out from its starting point. The theory may apply to artistic motifs, religious beliefs or indeed any aspect of human culture. A wheel is a circular object that together with an axle allows low friction motion, e. ... Look up Trade in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Trade centers on the exchange of goods and/or services. ...

This method has been used to trace back innovations to presumed starting points, and thus to locate their origin within distinct cultures and map the history of their spread.

Problems

However diffusionism is a problematic theory for various reasons. It is difficult to demonstrate that an innovation must have had a single starting point. Many inventions and cultural ideas may well have been discovered or have evolved independently from one another.

Adaptations to human and social needs might easily take similar forms in diverse cultures, if these are the best available solutions to similar problems. For example pyramids appear in Egypt and Mesoamerica. But despite the efforts to prove otherwise by diffusionists such as Thor Heyerdahl, the evidence seems to suggest that they developed quite separately. Mesoamerica is the region extending from central Mexico south to the northwestern border of Costa Rica that gave rise to a group of stratified, culturally related agrarian civilizations spanning an approximately 3,000-year period before the European discovery of the New World by Columbus. ... Thor Heyerdahl (October 6, 1914 in Larvik, Norway–April 18, 2002 in Colla Micheri, Italy) was (originally) a Norwegian marine biologist with a great interest in anthropology, who became famous for his Kon-Tiki Expedition in which he sailed by raft 4,300 miles from South America to the Tuamotu...

Data

Nevertheless cultural and technological diffusion is an undoubted fact of both ancient and modern history. The diffusion hypothesis is often the best model to explain and link archaeological data.

See also

• diffusion of innovations