What is ABM of SES in archaeology?

Agent-based modelling (ABM) has in recent years developed into an important methodological tool in archaeological research, especially when approaching questions from the perspective of socio-ecological systems (SES) as coupled human and natural spheres exchanging energy and resources.

ABM focuses on the dynamics and actions of individual agents as computational entities that act autonomously and can represent social agents that interact with each other and their environment. When designing an agent-based model, the aim is not to mimic the patterns of our data but to recreate the mechanisms that, under certain conditions, will generate those patterns.