Formally defining the time-space-archaeological culture relation: problems and prospects

Locating archaeological cultures in time and space is a major challenge of archaeolog- ical research. Despite more than a century of scientific research in archaeology, a satisfactory solution has yet to be proposed. Past attempts to look into the problem focused on sharpening the definition of types of material culture artefacts, a more accurate chronological dating of such objects, various probabilistic methods or GIS solution for defining the time-space borders of archaeological cultures. However, the proposed approaches did not fully consider how the nature of archaeological cultures and their consequent dating and geographic positioning play a crucial role in assigning spatio-temporal borders. We propose to shift the operating logical paradigm in archaeology, from a crisp, Aristotelian-based logic, to fuzzy logic, in our opinion more suitable for reasoning in archaeology. We also introduce the rough sets theory to deal with chronological and geographic positioning of archaeological cultures. Both concepts have, in our opinion, substantial advantages over the traditional algebra and logic rules (implicitly) applied so far

Getting Things in Order: An Introduction to the R Package seriation

Seriation, i.e., finding a suitable linear order for a set of objects given data and a loss or merit function, is a basic problem in data analysis. Caused by the problem's combinatorial nature, it is hard to solve for all but very small sets. Nevertheless, both exact solution methods and heuristics are available. In this paper we present the package seriation which provides an infrastructure for seriation with R. The infrastructure comprises data structures to represent linear orders as permutation vectors, a wide array of seriation methods using a consistent interface, a method to calculate the value of various loss and merit functions, and several visualization techniques which build on seriation. To illustrate how easily the package can be applied for a variety of applications, a comprehensive collection of examples is presented.

Numerical Linear Algebra applications in Archaeology: the seriation and the photometric stereo problems

The aim of this thesis is to explore the application of Numerical Linear Algebra to Archaeology. An ordering problem called the seriation problem, used for dating findings and/or artifacts deposits, is analysed in terms of graph theory. In particular, a Matlab implementation of an algorithm for spectral seriation, based on the use of the Fiedler vector of the Laplacian matrix associated with the problem, is presented. We consider bipartite graphs for describing the seriation problem, since the interrelationship between the units (i.e. archaeological sites) to be reordered, can be described in terms of these graphs. In our archaeological metaphor of seriation, the two disjoint nodes sets into which the vertices of a bipartite graph can be divided, represent the excavation sites and the artifacts found inside them. Since it is a difficult task to determine the closest bipartite network to a given one, we describe how a starting network can be approximated by a bipartite one by solving a sequence of fairly simple optimization problems. Another numerical problem related to Archaeology is the 3D reconstruction of the shape of an object from a set of digital pictures. In particular, the Photometric Stereo (PS) photographic technique is considered

The factors involved in the florescence of 'art' and symbolic practices in the neolithic of Anatolia and the Levant

My research examines the florescence of symbolically elaborated material symbolism or ‘art’ witnessed with the appearance of the first sedentary village farming com munities’ c. 10000 years ago of Anatolia and Levant in South - West Asia. The objective is to clarify the potential correlation between symbolic material and increased sedentism, territoriality, ritual practice, group size, subsistence changes, agriculture, husbandry, and domestication. Specifically, to examine the psychological changes may have allowed, or promoted, social and economic changes through sedentism and farming. Considering the implications of social transformations in the Neolithic, despite the numerous Neolithic decorated buildings, decorated tools , figurines, and decoration portable items, studies to date have failed to cross reference the symbolism displayed on such items. Though the methodological approaches in this thesis have been influenced by the work of Kozłowski and Aurenche (2005) , who use an extensive assemblage to assess the implications of style on territories and boundaries in South - West Asia, a much broader framew ork for analysis is required for this thesis. A larger range of variables had to be considered and included in order to accurately assess the relationship between symbolic material and concurrent social changes. Data had to include information about site s ize, location, date, geographical and environmental placement, evidence for plant and animal exploitation, settlement layout, and detailed contextual evidence. This approach enabled assessment of changes in symbolically elaborated material. It also provide d a method with which to consider how the differing communities used the symbolically elaborated material within a different set of behaviour by examining the contextual deposition. My data rejects the potential correlation between symbolic material and e nvironmental change, increasing site size and permanence, population pressure, social tensions, subsistence changes, agriculture, husbandry, and domestication. Whilst these changes occurred in tandem, there is no causal link. Instead, the data suggest that distinctive patterns of ritual behaviour, alongside explicit motif choice, link to specific regional trends. These regional patterns point to resilient systems of communal identity. Chronological changes within the data reflect changes in the manipulation and presentation of that identity, evolving independently from other facets of Neolithic life. This chronological change potentially relates to the dynamic between sedentary and nomadic groups within the landscape and evolving inter - site relationships. The main factors involved in the florescence of symbolically elaborated material culture is sedentism and distinct regional patterns, along with specific behaviours relating to individual and house identities within communal identity. Any future study aiming to explain the ‘revolution of symbols’ will need to consider the implications of these independently evolving expressions of identity