Workshop - Advances in modelling past human ecosystems
The workshop, Advances in modelling past human ecosystems, was held in Cologne between May 22nd and 24th, 2024. It was organised by Prof. Dr. Eleftheria Paliou and Dr. Andreas Angourakis, with the support of the BMBF-funded research project Modelling Prehistoric Hunting (2021-24) and the Leibniz ScienceCampus Resources in Transformation (ReForm).
The workshop successfully met its main goal: to offer a space to showcase a variety of state-of-the-art archaeological computational models related to socio-ecological research and encourage discussion towards integrating the insights, data, and participatory engagement of the stewards of traditional and indigenous ecological knowledge.
The works presented ranged from using machine learning to link paleoclimatological proxy data to the distribution of early human sites in eastern Africa to applying agent-based modelling to unravel the terms of risk-taking strategies among whale hunters in western Patagonia. The event welcomed participants in many areas of expertise related—but not limited—to archaeology, at all academic stages, and with diverse personal backgrounds.
The outcomes of the workshop will be collected as full articles in the following year, to be processed in a journal special issue soon to be announced.
For more information, check the workshop programme and abstracts and stay tuned for further announcements!
by Andreas Angourakis
