Crowd and Procession Hypothesis Testing for Large-Scale Archaeological Sites

Abstract

Our goal is to construct parameterized, spatially and temporally situated simulations of large-scale public ceremonies. Especially in pre-historic contexts, these activities lack precise records and must be hypothesized from material remains, documentary sources, and cultural context. Given the number of possible variables, we are building a computational system SPACES (Spatialized Performance And Ceremonial Event Simulations), that rapidly creates variations that may be both visually (qualitatively) and quantitatively assessed. Of particular interest are processional movements of crowds through a large-scale, navigationally complex, and semantically meaningful site, while exhibiting individual contextual emotional, performative, and ceremonially realistic behaviors.