Using computer models and art stylistic similarities to evaluate the impacts of geography and social processes on Magdalenian social networks

Anthropological research has demonstrated the influence of climate and environmental resources on the lifestyle of hunter-gatherers. While most previous work has focused on environmental influences on hunter-gatherer economic and ecological behaviors, this research will evaluate the impact of different geographical and social environments on the social networks formed therein. This project will use an agent-based model to generate test expectations related to the processes that shaped the social networks of Cantabrian hunter-gatherers during the Magdalenian. The generated expectations will then be tested through a stylistic study of Cantabrian Magdalenian portable art objects. This study will increase our understanding of the different social dynamics operating during the Magdalenian, and demonstrate the potential of combining computer models with empirical data to further our understanding of the archaeological record.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology.