Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09746-0
Maia Dedrick, Patricia A. McAnany, Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche, Elizabeth A. Webb, Isaac A. Hart
Sinkholes contributed to persistent human inhabitation of the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico for more than two millennia. Building on previous work on the use of sinkholes central to the town of Tahcabo and elsewhere in the Maya area, this study presents pollen, soil carbon isotope, radiocarbon, and artifactual evidence from four geomorphic features. They include the perennially wet cenote situated in the town center and three dry sinkholes ( rejolladas ) located in the commonly held lands ( ejido ) of the town. These features demonstrate striking variability in multispecies engagements with and within sinkholes, especially over the past 500 years, amid colonialism and more recent political contexts. Climate and political dynamics are implicated in the observed variability in agricultural practices. Community-engaged research often embraces a focus on persistent places, which can inspire contemporary people to reconnect with the past and with ancestors in ways that promote action to address challenges, such as adaptation to climate and other environmental change. Our research addresses long histories of sinkhole use to demonstrate the outcomes of variable cultivation strategies, such as increased biodiversity within towns and places of refuge, or conversely, production intensity and accelerated soil erosion into and mixing of sinkhole sediments.
{"title":"Sinkhole Microcosms: Understanding Persistence of Place Through Variable Cultivation Strategies in Northeastern Yucatán, Mexico","authors":"Maia Dedrick, Patricia A. McAnany, Adolfo Iván Batún Alpuche, Elizabeth A. Webb, Isaac A. Hart","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09746-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09746-0","url":null,"abstract":"Sinkholes contributed to persistent human inhabitation of the northern Yucatán peninsula of Mexico for more than two millennia. Building on previous work on the use of sinkholes central to the town of Tahcabo and elsewhere in the Maya area, this study presents pollen, soil carbon isotope, radiocarbon, and artifactual evidence from four geomorphic features. They include the perennially wet cenote situated in the town center and three dry sinkholes ( <jats:italic>rejolladas</jats:italic> ) located in the commonly held lands ( <jats:italic>ejido</jats:italic> ) of the town. These features demonstrate striking variability in multispecies engagements with and within sinkholes, especially over the past 500 years, amid colonialism and more recent political contexts. Climate and political dynamics are implicated in the observed variability in agricultural practices. Community-engaged research often embraces a focus on persistent places, which can inspire contemporary people to reconnect with the past and with ancestors in ways that promote action to address challenges, such as adaptation to climate and other environmental change. Our research addresses long histories of sinkhole use to demonstrate the outcomes of variable cultivation strategies, such as increased biodiversity within towns and places of refuge, or conversely, production intensity and accelerated soil erosion into and mixing of sinkhole sediments.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"132 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145546193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09741-5
Benjamin J. Britton, Alec McLellan, Jeffrey Brewer, Christopher Carr, Nicholas Dunning, Lin Liu
Examining Lidar data is an efficient way to detect ancient Maya features across the Yucatan Peninsula. Automated object detection powered by deep learning leverages Maya archaeologists’ specialist knowledge in detecting the presence of ancient Maya settlements. By using a broadscale approach in its training, our new efficient multi-regional model Q2000 achieves comparable performance across a significantly broader and more diverse geographic region. This study addresses the current limitation of small-scale, area-specific models to generalize characteristics and properly detect a diverse range of target objects over a large area. This study introduces the foundational development of a broadscale, multi-region convolutional neural network (CNN) object detection model utilizing Lidar data across a significantly larger extent of the Maya area (approximately 35,584 km 2 ). This model achieved accuracies comparable to previous local studies that relied on the annotation of a larger number of structures within smaller, more homogeneous areas. Comparative analysis of the model's test results indicates enhanced generalization across diverse topographic regions when trained on multi-area data, achieving a robust F1 Score of 0.89, even with a relatively small training sample set. Our results further indicate that a broadscale approach to deep learning is efficient, and that a pan-Yucatan model can be effective.
检查激光雷达数据是检测尤卡坦半岛古玛雅特征的有效方法。由深度学习驱动的自动对象检测利用玛雅考古学家的专业知识来检测古玛雅定居点的存在。通过在训练中使用广泛的方法，我们新的高效多区域模型Q2000在更广泛和更多样化的地理区域内实现了可比的性能。该研究解决了目前小规模、特定区域模型的局限性，无法概括特征并正确检测大面积上不同范围的目标物体。本研究介绍了一种广泛的、多区域卷积神经网络（CNN）目标检测模型的基础开发，该模型利用激光雷达数据在玛雅地区（大约35,584 km 2）的更大范围内进行检测。该模型达到了与之前的局部研究相当的精度，这些研究依赖于在更小、更均匀的区域内标注更多的结构。对模型测试结果的对比分析表明，当在多区域数据上进行训练时，模型在不同地形区域的泛化能力增强，即使在相对较小的训练样本集上，F1得分也达到了0.89的鲁棒性。我们的研究结果进一步表明，大规模的深度学习方法是有效的，泛尤卡坦模型也是有效的。
{"title":"Evaluating Broadscale Deep Learning for Maya Settlement Detection in G-LiHT Lidar","authors":"Benjamin J. Britton, Alec McLellan, Jeffrey Brewer, Christopher Carr, Nicholas Dunning, Lin Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09741-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09741-5","url":null,"abstract":"Examining Lidar data is an efficient way to detect ancient Maya features across the Yucatan Peninsula. Automated object detection powered by deep learning leverages Maya archaeologists’ specialist knowledge in detecting the presence of ancient Maya settlements. By using a broadscale approach in its training, our new efficient multi-regional model Q2000 achieves comparable performance across a significantly broader and more diverse geographic region. This study addresses the current limitation of small-scale, area-specific models to generalize characteristics and properly detect a diverse range of target objects over a large area. This study introduces the foundational development of a broadscale, multi-region convolutional neural network (CNN) object detection model utilizing Lidar data across a significantly larger extent of the Maya area (approximately 35,584 km <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> ). This model achieved accuracies comparable to previous local studies that relied on the annotation of a larger number of structures within smaller, more homogeneous areas. Comparative analysis of the model's test results indicates enhanced generalization across diverse topographic regions when trained on multi-area data, achieving a robust F1 Score of 0.89, even with a relatively small training sample set. Our results further indicate that a broadscale approach to deep learning is efficient, and that a pan-Yucatan model can be effective.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145546192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09747-z
Peter Whitridge
{"title":"Graffiti, Atmosphere, and the Structure of Feeling of Marginal Places","authors":"Peter Whitridge","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09747-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09747-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"171 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145545675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09742-4
Gabriela Oré Menéndez
{"title":"Agricultural Infrastructure Detection Through Multispectral Satellite Remote Sensing and PeruSAT-1 Images in Huarochirí, Peru","authors":"Gabriela Oré Menéndez","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09742-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09742-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145546233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09749-x
Yoan Diekmann, Rosalind E. Gillis, Ziye Lu, Anna Rudzinski, Maria De Iorio, Mark G. Thomas
Zooarchaeological age-at-death profiles for domesticated ruminants can be inferred from tooth eruption, replacement, and wear. These profiles contain important information on slaughter management and have been used informally to infer the goals of past husbandry strategies. In principle, sex-specific survival curves could inform on various productivity parameters, including herd growth rates and sustainability, milk and meat yields, macronutrient and calorie yields, and feed consumed. Knowledge of these parameter values would allow identification of differences in husbandry economics in different archaeological contexts. However, archaeological age-at-death profiles are rarely sex-specific and are often derived from small sample sizes. As such, challenges remain in inferring sex-specific survival curves using explicit models that account for sampling uncertainty. We present a Bayesian inference approach for inferring sex-specific survival curves from unsexed cattle zooarchaeological age-at-death profiles that can accommodate data from any combination of age class boundaries. Our approach relies on the assumption that asymmetric sex-specific slaughter leads to a change in sex ratio over time, which we inform from slaughter practices in modern unimproved cattle herds. By combining inferred sex-specific archaeological survival curves with ethnographic productivity data from modern unimproved cattle, we are able to estimate herd growth rate, milk and meat yields, macronutrient and calorie yields, and feed consumed per animal. We apply our approach to zooarchaeological age-at-death profiles previously proposed to prioritise milk or meat production and to a set of profiles from ten Neolithic sites located across Europe. We infer that there was scope for improvement in prehistoric slaughter management.
{"title":"Bayesian Inference of Sex-Specific Mortality Profiles and Product Yields from Unsexed Cattle Zooarchaeological Remains","authors":"Yoan Diekmann, Rosalind E. Gillis, Ziye Lu, Anna Rudzinski, Maria De Iorio, Mark G. Thomas","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09749-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09749-x","url":null,"abstract":"Zooarchaeological age-at-death profiles for domesticated ruminants can be inferred from tooth eruption, replacement, and wear. These profiles contain important information on slaughter management and have been used informally to infer the goals of past husbandry strategies. In principle, sex-specific survival curves could inform on various productivity parameters, including herd growth rates and sustainability, milk and meat yields, macronutrient and calorie yields, and feed consumed. Knowledge of these parameter values would allow identification of differences in husbandry economics in different archaeological contexts. However, archaeological age-at-death profiles are rarely sex-specific and are often derived from small sample sizes. As such, challenges remain in inferring sex-specific survival curves using explicit models that account for sampling uncertainty. We present a Bayesian inference approach for inferring sex-specific survival curves from unsexed cattle zooarchaeological age-at-death profiles that can accommodate data from any combination of age class boundaries. Our approach relies on the assumption that asymmetric sex-specific slaughter leads to a change in sex ratio over time, which we inform from slaughter practices in modern unimproved cattle herds. By combining inferred sex-specific archaeological survival curves with ethnographic productivity data from modern unimproved cattle, we are able to estimate herd growth rate, milk and meat yields, macronutrient and calorie yields, and feed consumed per animal. We apply our approach to zooarchaeological age-at-death profiles previously proposed to prioritise milk or meat production and to a set of profiles from ten Neolithic sites located across Europe. We infer that there was scope for improvement in prehistoric slaughter management.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145448148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09744-2
Isabella Caricola, Luigi Germinario, Emma M. Finestone, Claudio Mazzoli, Laura Bishop, James S. Oliver, Rahab N. Kinyanjui, Peter W. Ditchfield, Richard Potts, Cristina Lemorini, Thomas W. Plummer
This study presents a comprehensive examination of the function of 26 percussive stone tools (PSTs) from Nyayanga, an Oldowan site located on the Homa Peninsula in southwestern Kenya. These artifacts, dating between 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago, were found together with hominin remains and animal fossils with stone tool butchery damage. To determine the function of the PSTs, we adopted a multiscale approach that combines qualitative use-wear analysis using microscopic techniques at low and high power approaches with quantitative analysis, employing 3D surface models generated with profilometry. These analyses indicate that Nyayanga hominins used PSTs to access both plant (e.g., USOs) and animal (bone marrow) nutrients. The inferred multifunctionality of these tools hints at diverse dietary strategies and contributes to our understanding of human technological evolution.
{"title":"Qualitative and Quantitative Use-Wear Analysis of Percussive Stone Tools from Nyayanga (Homa Peninsula, Kenya)","authors":"Isabella Caricola, Luigi Germinario, Emma M. Finestone, Claudio Mazzoli, Laura Bishop, James S. Oliver, Rahab N. Kinyanjui, Peter W. Ditchfield, Richard Potts, Cristina Lemorini, Thomas W. Plummer","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09744-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09744-2","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents a comprehensive examination of the function of 26 percussive stone tools (PSTs) from Nyayanga, an Oldowan site located on the Homa Peninsula in southwestern Kenya. These artifacts, dating between 3.032 to 2.581 million years ago, were found together with hominin remains and animal fossils with stone tool butchery damage. To determine the function of the PSTs, we adopted a multiscale approach that combines qualitative use-wear analysis using microscopic techniques at low and high power approaches with quantitative analysis, employing 3D surface models generated with profilometry. These analyses indicate that Nyayanga hominins used PSTs to access both plant (e.g., USOs) and animal (bone marrow) nutrients. The inferred multifunctionality of these tools hints at diverse dietary strategies and contributes to our understanding of human technological evolution.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145396853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-29DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09740-6
Stéphanie Leroy, Mitch Hendrickson, Enrique Vega, Quan Hua, Kaseka Phon
{"title":"Technological Trajectories in Iron Smelting: Slag Signatures, Recipes, and Traditions from Phnom Dek (Cambodia, 7th–20th c. CE)","authors":"Stéphanie Leroy, Mitch Hendrickson, Enrique Vega, Quan Hua, Kaseka Phon","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09740-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09740-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"39 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145382283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-25DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09745-1
Amanda Merino-Pelaz, María de Andrés-Herrero, Andrés Díez-Herrero, David Álvarez-Alonso, Luis Miguel Tanarro
The development of spatial modeling has made it possible to address the problem of the spatial location of archaeological sites in the territory with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Applications range from predicting the density and distribution of archaeological sites to modeling and understanding the occupation patterns of past cultures. However, theory-driven deductive strategies for site location modeling are needed in cases where the sample of sites is not large enough to apply statistical methods. This paper presents a methodological proposal for a multicriteria analysis using GIS with expert consultation by the Delphi method to develop maps of archaeological potential. This methodology is applied to the Eresma-Riaza interfluve in the Duero basin, a geomorphologically varied region with significant Paleolithic evidence. To do this, we designed a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to (1) model optimal or unfavourable zones for human occupation; (2) evaluate areas with good or bad preservation of archaeological sites; (3) infer the archaeological potential of our study area. To evaluate the model, we did a cross-check with the Archaeological Inventory of the region. The spatial coincidence of a high number of sites with medium and high potential areas for Paleolithic occupations confirms the usefulness of these analyses not only for investigation purposes but also for urban planning and Heritage preservation.
{"title":"Development and Calibration of a Spatial Model for the Analysis of Paleolithic Archaeological Potential in the Duero Basin of the Iberian Peninsula","authors":"Amanda Merino-Pelaz, María de Andrés-Herrero, Andrés Díez-Herrero, David Álvarez-Alonso, Luis Miguel Tanarro","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09745-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09745-1","url":null,"abstract":"The development of spatial modeling has made it possible to address the problem of the spatial location of archaeological sites in the territory with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Applications range from predicting the density and distribution of archaeological sites to modeling and understanding the occupation patterns of past cultures. However, theory-driven deductive strategies for site location modeling are needed in cases where the sample of sites is not large enough to apply statistical methods. This paper presents a methodological proposal for a multicriteria analysis using GIS with expert consultation by the Delphi method to develop maps of archaeological potential. This methodology is applied to the Eresma-Riaza interfluve in the Duero basin, a geomorphologically varied region with significant Paleolithic evidence. To do this, we designed a GIS-based multicriteria analysis to (1) model optimal or unfavourable zones for human occupation; (2) evaluate areas with good or bad preservation of archaeological sites; (3) infer the archaeological potential of our study area. To evaluate the model, we did a cross-check with the Archaeological Inventory of the region. The spatial coincidence of a high number of sites with medium and high potential areas for Paleolithic occupations confirms the usefulness of these analyses not only for investigation purposes but also for urban planning and Heritage preservation.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"79 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145382282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-20DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09739-z
María Coto-Sarmiento,Abay Namen,Aristeidis Varis,Radu Iovita
Modern humans dispersed throughout the entire world during the Pleistocene, completing an important part of our evolutionary history. Central Asia, one of the most challenging territories to be colonized, is characterized by continental climate and stark geographic contrasts and therefore offers an ideal context for testing hypotheses about the role of human behavior in dispersals under adverse conditions. Here, we introduce an evolutionary theoretical agent-based model exploring the effects of cooperation on dispersal under different climate constraints in two study sub-regions, the Altai and Tian Shan Mountains. The model uses an evolutionary framework to test cooperation dilemmas in four theoretical climate scenarios based on the average temperature during glacial and interglacial periods. We show that (a) population size can significantly influence the pressure on the group, such that a larger population implies more pressure to cooperate; (b) cooperative behaviors are needed for survival in the harshest conditions; and (c) if the initial probability of non-cooperation is higher, then human groups will tend to be non-cooperative even if a cooperative subgroup pushes them to cooperate. Our results demonstrate that the degree of cooperation significantly impacts survival during periods of extreme climatic deterioration. This work provides valuable insights into the mechanisms influencing the settlement of climatically challenging regions by prehistoric groups.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-025-09739-z.
{"title":"The Impact of Cooperation Under Climate Constraints: An Agent-Based Model for Exploring Paleolithic Behavioral Adaptations in the Inner Asian Mountain Corridor.","authors":"María Coto-Sarmiento,Abay Namen,Aristeidis Varis,Radu Iovita","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09739-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09739-z","url":null,"abstract":"Modern humans dispersed throughout the entire world during the Pleistocene, completing an important part of our evolutionary history. Central Asia, one of the most challenging territories to be colonized, is characterized by continental climate and stark geographic contrasts and therefore offers an ideal context for testing hypotheses about the role of human behavior in dispersals under adverse conditions. Here, we introduce an evolutionary theoretical agent-based model exploring the effects of cooperation on dispersal under different climate constraints in two study sub-regions, the Altai and Tian Shan Mountains. The model uses an evolutionary framework to test cooperation dilemmas in four theoretical climate scenarios based on the average temperature during glacial and interglacial periods. We show that (a) population size can significantly influence the pressure on the group, such that a larger population implies more pressure to cooperate; (b) cooperative behaviors are needed for survival in the harshest conditions; and (c) if the initial probability of non-cooperation is higher, then human groups will tend to be non-cooperative even if a cooperative subgroup pushes them to cooperate. Our results demonstrate that the degree of cooperation significantly impacts survival during periods of extreme climatic deterioration. This work provides valuable insights into the mechanisms influencing the settlement of climatically challenging regions by prehistoric groups.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10816-025-09739-z.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"89 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145116742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-02DOI: 10.1007/s10816-025-09726-4
Richard J Hewitt,Manuel Alcaraz-Castaño,Vito C Hernandez,Mike W Morley
Understanding mobility of past hunter-gatherer populations requires dynamic approaches which incorporate uncertainty. Least cost models assume complete knowledge of the terrain on the part of the traveller, while ethnographic examples tend to be specific to the groups and territories studied. Most least cost models also assume that origin points, destination points, or both, are known in advance, limiting their utility for exploring movement potential in landscapes where evidence for occupation is scarce. This research addresses these limitations through an agent-based model of movement grounded in cellular automata (CA) theory, called DISPERSCA. Agents depart from a point, which may be specified or determined at random, and transit a fitness landscape for a fixed number of iterations according to decisions made within a defined area at each time step (a decision catchment), the CA neighbourhood. If the decision catchment is unknown multiple runs are made at different CA neighbourhood sizes and the results are compared. Neighbourhoods may be square or hexagonal, the former producing on average longer displacements, the latter ensuring that individual walks are of equal length in any direction. The model is demonstrated by application to Late Pleistocene Central Iberia, where confirmed archaeological sites are scarce. Some support can be advanced for the hypothesis that the Central Iberian mountains, probably combined with the Iberian System range, presented a significant barrier to hunter-gatherer groups. The model can be modified to account for agents' prior knowledge, or to include fitness variables unrelated to terrain cost, such as water, the presence of game animals or vegetation.
{"title":"Modelling Mobility of Hunter-Gatherer Populations: A Dynamic Simulation Approach Based on Cellular Automata.","authors":"Richard J Hewitt,Manuel Alcaraz-Castaño,Vito C Hernandez,Mike W Morley","doi":"10.1007/s10816-025-09726-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-025-09726-4","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding mobility of past hunter-gatherer populations requires dynamic approaches which incorporate uncertainty. Least cost models assume complete knowledge of the terrain on the part of the traveller, while ethnographic examples tend to be specific to the groups and territories studied. Most least cost models also assume that origin points, destination points, or both, are known in advance, limiting their utility for exploring movement potential in landscapes where evidence for occupation is scarce. This research addresses these limitations through an agent-based model of movement grounded in cellular automata (CA) theory, called DISPERSCA. Agents depart from a point, which may be specified or determined at random, and transit a fitness landscape for a fixed number of iterations according to decisions made within a defined area at each time step (a decision catchment), the CA neighbourhood. If the decision catchment is unknown multiple runs are made at different CA neighbourhood sizes and the results are compared. Neighbourhoods may be square or hexagonal, the former producing on average longer displacements, the latter ensuring that individual walks are of equal length in any direction. The model is demonstrated by application to Late Pleistocene Central Iberia, where confirmed archaeological sites are scarce. Some support can be advanced for the hypothesis that the Central Iberian mountains, probably combined with the Iberian System range, presented a significant barrier to hunter-gatherer groups. The model can be modified to account for agents' prior knowledge, or to include fitness variables unrelated to terrain cost, such as water, the presence of game animals or vegetation.","PeriodicalId":47725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory","volume":"29 1","pages":"57"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144777876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：