Workshop: Agent-based modelling for Archaeologists

Are you an archaeologist with an interest in digital methods? Are you passionate about exploring past human-environmental and social interactions? Do you want to extend your research skills with quantitative formal modelling methods? Then this free online 2-hour workshop is for you!

Agent-based modelling (ABM) is a simulation approach for representing and exploring theories about past human interaction (learn more about the approach here). This workshop uses user-friendly guided tutorials to introduce and learn ABM step-by-step. Learn how to use simulation software and explore how this powerful complexity science technique can complement your research. Participants will finish the workshop with an understanding of agent-based modelling methods and the essential coding skills. No prior ABM skills or experience required. Advanced tutorials will be available for those with ABM experience.

When?

January 22nd, 2024, 15:00-17:00 CET

or

January 25th, 2024, 09:00-11:00 CET

Where?

Online meeting on Zoom (you will receive a link to your email address after the registration ends)

Register here (https://forms.gle/knvBYnLnFPi23xV2A)

Registration deadline 8^th January 2024

Who can register?

The workshop is intended for students/professionals in archaeology, history, heritage studies, anthropology and similar subjects at all career levels.

What will you learn?

• Introduction to the theory and practice of ABM
• How to create an archaeological simulation
• Basic programming skills in NetLogo

No prior knowledge of ABM or coding is required.

No installation or software is required. The tutorials run in your web browser (Chrome is recommended).

Organizers and instructors

Tom Brughmans

Tom is an associate professor at Aarhus University’s Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet) and Classical Archaeology. His research interests include the study of Roman economic and urban phenomena, past social networks, and visual signalling systems. He performs much of his work by applying computational methods such as network science, agent-based simulation and geographical information systems.

Adam Pažout

Adam is a research assistant at the Centre for Urban Network Evolutions (UrbNet) at the Aarhus University. His interests are Roman roads and transportation, and Roman army in the provinces, with special focus on the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. He has a passion for landscape archaeology and digital methods in archaeology, especially GIS.

Eduardo Herrera Malatesta

Eduardo Herrera Malatesta is a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Urban Network Evolutions at Aarhus University. His research interest lies in understanding the creation and transformation of past landscapes. He explores this by applying spatial statistics, geographical information systems, and anthropological theories.

Jens Emil Bødstrup Christoffersen

Jens is an Archaeology master’s student at Aarhus University. His research interests include computational simulation methods to study complex systems. He has a particular interest in agent-based modeling and GIS. He is also enthusiastic about exploring the potential of network analysis and machine learning in his research.

Magnus Lindholm Nielsen

Magnus is currently pursuing a masters in History and a minor in Computer Science at Aarhus University. He is a passionate digital humanist, who is always interested in finding new ways to use digital and computational methods to make new types of analysis possible. He has experience with ABM, Data Science and visualization, and Natural Language Processing.

The Agent-Based Modelling for Archaeologists (ABMA) project is made possible thanks to the EU Erasmus+ programme under agreement 2021-2-IE01-KA220-VET-000049054.