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Social and ecological dynamics of forager mobility: An agent-based modeling study of Middle Stone Age archaeology in southern Africa

Peart, Daniel Chad
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0851-1070
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1629668197107393

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Anthropology.
Archaeological research in southern Africa has explained patterns of deposition and distribution at Middle Stone Age sites, but the role of social and ecological movement decisions of foragers in producing these patterns remains unclear. This dissertation addresses two questions that benefit from consideration of the complex dynamic interactions between foragers and their environment: (1) How do marine resources shape mobility patterns, and how are those patterns reflected in archaeological material? (2) Do observed archaeological patterns of artifact deposition frequency and site distribution match simulated patterns based on human movement decisions? To address these questions, I use an agent-based modeling approach to test the impact of social and ecological behavioral models from Human Behavioral Ecology on the deposition and distribution of archaeological material. The Southern African Mobility Model (SAMM), the agent-based model developed for this dissertation, provides experimental simulation data to help explain the role of human mobility in producing archaeological patterns of shellfish exploitation and overall site distribution during the Middle Stone Age of southern Africa. SAMM experiments successfully reproduced the distribution of sites in the southern African archaeological record and indicate that daily forager social and ecological decisions may be responsible for producing the distribution of sites observed in the southern African Middle Stone Age. Model outcomes suggest that human foragers alter movement decisions in response to changing environmental conditions. These results indicate that human movement decisions are an important factor for understanding archaeological patterns.
Jeffrey McKee (Advisor)
Julie Field (Committee Member)
Sean Downey (Committee Member)
Mark Moritz (Committee Member)
246 p.
Archaeology
south africa; archaeology; agent-based model; human behavioral ecology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Peart, D. C. (2021). Social and ecological dynamics of forager mobility: An agent-based modeling study of Middle Stone Age archaeology in southern Africa [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1629668197107393

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Peart, Daniel. Social and ecological dynamics of forager mobility: An agent-based modeling study of Middle Stone Age archaeology in southern Africa. 2021. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1629668197107393.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Peart, Daniel. "Social and ecological dynamics of forager mobility: An agent-based modeling study of Middle Stone Age archaeology in southern Africa." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1629668197107393

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1629668197107393
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.