One internet instant expert got his knickers in a twist:   
      
      
   >It ain't "Science" when they attribute motives and even   
   >things like "Prestige."   
   >   
   >You can't see these in the archaeology.   
      
   On the contrary it is done all the time.  It is related to what shows up   
   in the groundd as reflects levels of cultural complexity and subsequent   
   differences in social status markers.   
      
   Historical cultures leave material cultural items which reflect the social   
   elements directly observable.   
      
   As in any science, one extrapolates from the directly known to the unknown   
   given elements of distance or size or depth of time.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)