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Travelling in a prehistoric landscape: Exploring the influences that shaped human movement.
Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings › Paper
Published
| Publication date | 1/01/2010 |
|---|---|
| Host publication | Making History Interactive. Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA). : Proceedings of the 37th International Conference, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States of America, March 22-26 |
| Publisher | Archaeopress |
| Pages | 249-267 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Volume | 2079 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781407305561 |
| Original language | English |
Abstract
As human beings, the desire and necessity to “explore” the world has been with us from the beginning of our existence. From the basic act of looking for food and water, to travelling many kilometres to trade goods and engage in social exchange and dynamics, humans have had to travel at various scales; travel comprises a necessary activity in any aspect of human life. With the introduction of innovative computer approaches such as geographic information systems and agent-based modelling, a robust study of how humans travelled in the past is within reach now more than ever. However, in order to establish valid parameters within our spatial analyses and to produce better models, we first need to understand the social dynamics of movement. The main goals of this paper are: (1) to explore the complexity of human movement at a landscape scale, delving into the main variables and factors that may have influenced mobility during prehistory, and (2) to highlight their importance in archaeological studies.