From static to dynamic: The point of view of a classical

archaeologist

Andrea D’Andrea dandrea@unior.it

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Simulating the Past: Complex Systems Simulation in Archaeology

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Archaeologists are familiar with words as: simulation, modeling, systems, predictions and with general theory explaining the changes (through the time and space). Since 1970 several archaeologists have developed different theories addressed to give objective meaning to the archaeological record. Many of them have argued that archaeologists must translate the static archaeological record into behaviorally dynamic terms by documenting causal linkages between relevant behaviors and their static material by-products.

System theory explanation

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Researchers must make observations that establish signature patterns allowing the unambiguous recognition of particular dynamics from their static by-products. The usual means of doing this is to compare patterns in the archaeological evidence with those expected from the candidate behavior.

Middle-Range Theory

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(Binford 1977, For Theory Building in Archaeology)

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Static findings

… The Archaeological Process … (record + space + time)

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Data collections

Archaeological Archaeological StaticStatic RecordsRecords

Archaeological Archaeological Techniques for dataTechniques for data--

acquisitionacquisition

Archaeological Archaeological ProcessesProcesses

Ceramics Open Area Excavation Production

Small findings Trenches Excavation Circulation, Exchange

Cemeteries Vertical Excavation Trade, market

Tombs Grid Excavation Social organizations

Cities Random Survey Craftsmanship

Walls Test Survey Farms

Buildings Geophysical prospecting Holy spaces/structures

Little walls Remote Sensing Public/private spaces

… … ...

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Archaeological Archaeological ProcessesProcesses

Past Past DynamicsDynamics

From static to dynamic

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(Lock 2003, Using Computers in Archaeology: Towards Virtual Pasts )

A digital hermeneutics

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Classical hermeneutics approach Theory

Data

Model

Digital

Digital Model

Digital Digital Data

Theory

Data

Model

Digital hermeneutics approach

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A computer-based simulation approach

Computer Simulation • Changes • Transformations • Evolutions

Computer Simulation forces us to codify and make explicit our assumptions It also allows us to explore the outcome of behaviors which can no longer be observed and for which there is no reliable recent historical record. Computer Simulation forces us to adopt ad observations language, a system of scientific inferences allowing past cultural systems to be read off the archaeological record.

Main achievements • Rules (indices, parameters) • Formalisation • Data-acquisition

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A computer-based simulation approach

Main achievements o Environmental-based Rules

(indices, parameters) o Demographic indices o New variables o Data-acquisition

From known STATE A …………………………………..To known STATE B

General Theory

Computer Simulation

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ABM can help us:

to test and evaluate the inferences

to recompose the gap between empirical products and highly abstract theories

to overcome a generic economic functionalism

to outline (hopefully) a new

explanation theory

ABM as new Middle-Range Theory

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Opening the Past 2013 – 13-15 Giugno 2013 31st March 2015 ROUNDTABLE 4

From static to dynamic

Please see our poster n. 82 / Session 5A “Dynamics of the settlement pattern in the Aksum area (800-400 BC). An ABM preliminary approach”

Thank you dandrea@unior.it

Opening the Past 2013 – 13-15 Giugno 2013

A special thank to: R. Fattovich, G. Ferrandino and A. Manzo (University of Naples “L’Orientale”) M. Graniglia, A. Palomba and G. Zollo (University of Naples “Federico II”)

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