Using ABM to explore the role of socio-environmental interactions on Ancient Settlement Dynamics

Abstract

This paper presents a work in progress within the project « Modeling the role of socio-environmental interactions on Ancient Settlement Dynamics - ModelAnSet» developed by archaeologists, historians, palaeoenvironmentalists and computer scientists at University Côte d’Azur (Nice). Agent-based modelling is used to explore the respective role of environmental and social factors in the evolution of the settlement pattern and dynamics during the Roman period in South-Eastern France. The model aims at simulating the impact of the climatic and macro-economic conditions on the behaviour of Gallo-Roman landowners. According to the profit they derive from their farms and/or villas, which depends both on natural and socio-economic factors, the landowners can decide to maintain without change, improve, enlarge or abandon their agricultural holdings or to create a new one. Through the repeated landowners’ decision-making, the ABM thus simulates a changing macro-level settlement pattern, in terms of number, type and location of the settlements. The paper focuses on the conceptual model in order to present the model entities and the dynamics underlying their interactions, and explain our choices and hypotheses.