Humans are in many ways defined by their social interactions with others. Indeed, the heart of human adaptive systems lies in peoples’ use of social networks to facilitate solutions to collective problems like resource shortfalls, information acquisition and dissemination, and political or conflict resolution. In a very real sense, then, humans live and die within the context of social networks. Material culture—clothing, artwork, jewelry—is often used to advertise important information about one’s personal and group identity within a social network. One way that people do this is to adopt or manipulate the style of an object to distinguish themselves from, or more closely identify themselves with, other people. Archaeology is uniquely equipped, through the study of artifact style, to track this most fundamental aspect of human behavior across vast expanses of space and time. The goal of this project is to use portable artwork to reconstruct the social networks of Magdalenian hunter-gatherers living in western and central Europe between ca. 20,000 to 14,000 calibrated years before present (cal BP), just as the world was emerging from the last Ice Age.
Magdalenian cultures are famous for the creation of a wide diversity of art, including rock paintings, carved and engraved bones and stones, and perforated bones, minerals, and fossils. One artifact type in particular, the perforated disk, appears across western and central Europe and may be particularly informative about individual and group identity. These small, flat disks are crafted from stone, bone, or ivory and often include engravings of geometric designs and/or animals. Just like humans today make choices about what to wear in order to (sometimes unconsciously) signal something about themselves, Magdalenian people likely created and used perforated disks to signal aspects of their own identity to others. This project brings together a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, paleoclimatologists, and computer scientists to document how Magdalenian cultures used perforated disks to construct, cultivate, and maintain social networks as Europe transitioned from glacial to post-glacial environments. The project goals are to:
This project is also guided by the National Science Foundation’s broader societal impact criteria. First, two MSc graduate students will be trained in artificial intelligence and software integration—skills that are highly valued in today’s tech-heavy job markets. Just as important is the meaningful exposure of computer science students to the highly complex and nuanced problems faced by social scientists. This interaction will create tangible links between the “how” and “why” of software design and use. Second, two of the project’s Principal Investigators, and both MSc graduate students, are women. This project will therefore help promote the full participation of women in science. Third, while a spatial dimension is often incorporated into computer science applications of SNA, time, and particularly the deep time explored by archaeologists, is less commonly considered. The techniques, perspectives, and datasets from this project will be used to modify currently offered courses in network analysis at UNCG, which will contribute to improved STEM education. Finally, the development of novel and freely available online research tools will enhance research and education infrastructure in the United States and beyond.
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