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Simulation of Natural and Social Process Interactions

An Example From Bronze Age Mesopotamia

Mark Altaweel

Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL

New multimodel simulations of Bronze Age Mesopotamian settlement system dynamics, using advanced object-based simulation frameworks, are addressing fine-scale interaction of natural processes (crop growth, hydrology, etc.) and social processes (kinship-driven behaviors, farming and herding practices, etc.) on a daily basis across multigenerational model runs. Key components of these simulations are representations of initial settlement populations that are demographically and socially plausible, and detailed models of social mechanisms that can produce and maintain realistic textures of social structure and dynamics over time. The simulation engine has broad applicability and is also being used to address modern problems such as agroeconomic sustainability in Southeast Asia. This article describes the simulation framework and presents results of initial studies, highlighting some social system representations.

Key Words: multimodel • simulations • agent-based • holistic • environment • social • interaction

Social Science Computer Review, Vol. 24, No. 2, 209-226 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0894439305281500


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