Capso: A Multi-Objective Cultural Algorithm System To Predict Locations Of Ancient Sites

ABSTRACT CAPSO: A MULTI-OBJECTIVE CULTURAL ALGORITHM SYSTEM TO PREDICT LOCATIONS OF ANCIENT SITES by SAMUEL DUSTIN STANLEY August 2019 Advisor: Dr. Robert Reynolds Major: Computer Science Degree: Doctor of Philosophy The recent archaeological discovery by Dr. John O’Shea at University of Michigan of prehistoric caribou remains and Paleo-Indian structures underneath the Great Lakes has opened up an opportunity for Computer Scientists to develop dynamic systems modelling these ancient caribou routes and hunter-gatherer settlement systems as well as the prehistoric environments that they existed in. The Wayne State University Cultural Algorithm team has been interested assisting Dr. O’Shea’s archaeological team by predicting new structures in the Alpena-Amberley Ridge Region. To further this end, we developed a rule-based expert prediction system to work with our team’s dynamic model of the Paleolithic environment. In order to evolve the rules and thresholds within this expert system, we developed a Pareto-based multi-objective optimizer called CAPSO, which stands for Cultural Algorithm Particle Swarm Optimizer. CAPSO is fully parallelized and is able to work with modern multicore CPU architecture, which enables CAPSO to handle “big data” problems such as this one. The crux of our methodology is to set up a biobjective problem with the objectives being locations predicted by the expert system (minimize) vs. training set occupational structures within those predicted locations (maximize). The first of these quantities plays the role of “cost” while the second plays the role of “benefit”. Four separate such biobjective problems are created, one for each of the four relevant occupational structure types (hunting blinds, drive lines, caches, and logistical camps). For each of these problems, when CAPSO tunes the system’s rules and thresholds, it changes which locations are predicted and hence also which structures are flagged. By repeatedly tuning the rules and thresholds, CAPSO creates a Pareto Front of locations predicted vs. structures predicted for each of the four occupational structure types. Statistical analysis of these Pareto Fronts reveals that as the number of structures predicted (benefit) increases linearly, the number of locations predicted (cost) increases exponentially. This pattern is referred to in the dissertation as the Accelerating Cost Hypothesis (ACH). The ACH statistically holds for all four structure types, and is the result of imperfect information

Assessing the ability of the LAMAP predictive model to locate hunter-gatherer sites: An Alaskan case study

Evidence from archaeological sites and ancient and modern DNA suggests that people first entered northern North America via Beringia no later than 15,000 years ago, and potentially as early as 24,000 years ago. When people moved south to colonize the rest of the American continents is still debated. The presence of ice sheets means that two routes were the most likely: down the unglaciated coast of the Pacific Northwest, and/or via an interior route characterized as the ice-free corridor. Large areas of Late Pleistocene land on the coast were submerged when sea levels rose at the beginning of the Holocene, around 10,000 years ago, making it difficult to locate potentially early sites. There is now a need to develop and test methods that identify high potential locations for finding sites on those now-submerged landscapes. The LAMAP method (Carleton et al. 2012) has been successful in predicting areas of high archaeological potential associated with permanently occupied settlements of agrarian societies. This study is the first application of LAMAP to mobile hunter-gatherer sites. A study area was defined in the Tanana Valley, Alaska, and the location and age of known archaeological sites was sourced from files in the Alaska Heritage Resources Survey database. The location of each site was plotted on a raster map produced in QGIS using six Digital Elevation Models accessed from the USGS’s National Elevation Dataset. This provided information relating to six physical variables for each site: Elevation, Slope, Aspect, Distance to Drainage, Viewshed and Convexity. The study area was divided into more than 700 million cells. LAMAP calculates the similarity of each cell to the cells found in a 1-km sample area around each known site. Mapping the distribution of similarity indices created a map of archaeological potential. We ran LAMAP on 91 randomly selected site locations to create a map of archaeological potential, and tested it by examining the location of the second set of 91 sites from the study area. Areas of high archaeological potential contained more of the second set of sites, confirming LAMAP’s ability to predict high potential areas for mobile hunter-gatherer sites. A second analysis, using pre and post 10,000 cal BP sites, showed the same results, demonstrating that long-standing physical features of the landscape are robust predictors of high potential areas, regardless of the time period. LAMAP is one of a number of methods for modelling high potential areas, each of which has advantages and disadvantages, for the preliminary exploration of now-submerged terrestrial landscapes

Using Heritage in Multi-Population Evolutionary Algorithms

Multi-Population Cultural Algorithms (MPCA) define a set of individuals that can be categorized as belonging to one of a set of populations. Not only reserved for Cultural Algorithms, the concept of Multi-Populations has been used in evolutionary algorithms to explore different search spaces or search for different goals simultaneously, with the capability of sharing knowledge with each other. The populations themselves can define specific goals or knowledge to use in the context of the problem. One limitation of MPCA is that an individual can only belong to one population at a time, which can restrict the potential and realism of the algorithm. This thesis proposes a novel approach to represent population usage called “Heritage,” which allows individuals to belong to multiple populations with weighted influence. Heritage-Dynamic Cultural Algorithm (HDCA) is used to test against different domains to examine the advantages and disadvantages of this approach

Analysis and pattern mapping of organic interfaces by means of seismic geophysical technologies to investigate archaeological palaeolandscapes beneath the Southern North Sea

Investigating the archaeology of submerged landscapes beneath many metres of sea and buried under modern sands requires an understanding of the terrestrial surface as it may have been prior to the inundation. To do this, environmental evidence is required from contextualised in-situ locations and the best material evidence for preservation of archaeology, organic remains, dating proxies, pollen, diatoms, microfossils, coleoptera etc. is peat. This research supports the search for peat in submarine environments by interpreting seismic surveys of the sub-sea floor and analysing reflective signals for distinctive organic responses. By means of sedimental analysis and ground observation, the research sets out to differentiate between organic signals, to allow for the identification and location of shallow peat beds within features of a palaeolandscape. Using these results should provide an opportunity to target such peat beds in an archaeologically focused coring programme. The research also examines ways in which organic responses may be mapped over larger areas in order to integrate the results into a wider scale landscape model identifying potential peatland, marsh, valley fen and lowland areas. Finally, the research introduces an artificial intelligence neural networking technology for the identification of organic interfaces in seismic surveys, examining three different ways in which this could be accomplished using specialist computer tools and software

Mechanisms and Models of Agropastoral Spread During the Neolithic in the West Mediterranean: The Cardial Spread Model

abstract: This dissertation examines the various factors and processes that have been proposed as explanations for the spread of agriculture in the west Mediterranean. The expansion of the Neolithic in the west Mediterranean (the Impresso-Cardial Neolithic) is characterized by a rapid spread of agricultural subsistence and material culture from the southern portion of the Italian peninsula to the western coast of the Iberian peninsula. To address this unique case, four conceptual models of Neolithic spread have been proposed: the Wave of Advance, the Capillary Spread Model, the Maritime Pioneer Colonization Model and the Dual Model. An agent-based model, the Cardial Spread Model, was built to simulate each conceptual spread model in a spatially explicit environment for comparison with evidence from the archaeological record. Chronological information detailing the arrival of the Neolithic was used to create a map of the initial arrival of the Neolithic (a chronosurface) throughout the study area. The results of each conceptual spread model were then compared to the chronosurface in order to evaluate the relative performance of each conceptual model of spread. These experiments suggest that both the Dual and Maritime Pioneer Colonization models best fit the available chronological and spatial distribution of the Impresso-Cardial Neolithic. For the purpose of informing agent movement and improving the fit of the conceptual spread models, a variety of paleoenvironmental maps were tested within the Cardial Spread Model. The outcome of these experiments suggests that topographic slope was an important factor in settlement location and that rivers were important vectors of transportation for early Neolithic migration. This research demonstrates the application of techniques rare to archaeological analysis, agent-based modeling and the inclusion of paleoenvironmental information, and provides a valuable tool that future researchers can utilize to further evaluate and fabricate new models of Neolithic expansion.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Anthropology 201

Virtual Neanderthals : a study in agent-based modelling Late Pleistocene hominins in western Europe

This study presents an agent-based simulation model exploring the patterns of presence and absence of Late Pleistocene Neanderthals in western Europe. HomininSpace implements a parameterized generic demographic and social model of hominin dispersal while avoiding parameter value biases and explicitly modelled handicaps. Models are simulated through time within a high-resolution environment where reconstructed temperatures and precipitation levels influence the carrying capacity of the landscape. Model parameter values are assigned and varied automatically while optimizing the match with Neanderthal archaeology using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) inspired by the processes of natural selection. The system is able to traverse the huge parameter space that is created by the complete set of all possible parameter value combinations to find those values that will result in a simulation that matches well with archaeological data in the form of radiometrically obtained presence data. Human Origin

Across Space and Time. Papers from the 41st Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Perth, 25-28 March 2013

This volume presents a selection of the best papers presented at the forty-first annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology. The theme for the conference was "Across Space and Time", and the papers explore a multitude of topics related to that concept, including databases, the semantic Web, geographical information systems, data collection and management, and more

Program and Proceedings: The Nebraska Academy of Sciences 1880-2012

PROGRAM FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2012 REGISTRATION FOR ACADEMY, Lobby of Lecture wing, Olin Hall Aeronautics and Space Science, Session A, Olin 249 Aeronautics and Space Science, Session B, Olin 224 Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B Chemistry and Physics, Section A, Chemistry, Olin A Applied Science and Technology, Olin 325 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session A, Olin 112 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session B, Smith Callen Conference Center Junior Academy, Judges Check-In, Olin 219 Junior Academy, Senior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall Lobby Chemistry and Physics, Section B, Physics, Planetarium Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session A, Olin 324 Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, Olin 124, Olin 131 Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session, Olin 249 NWU Health and Sciences Graduate School Fair, Olin and Smith Curtiss Halls Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session, Olin 249 MAIBEN MEMORIAL LECTURE, OLIN B Buffalo Bruce McIntosh, Research Ecologist with Western Nebraska Resources Council, The Status of Nebraska\u27s Native Aspen LUNCH, PATIO ROOM, STORY STUDENT CENTER (pay and carry tray through cafeteria line, or pay at NAS registration desk) Aeronautics Group, Conestoga Room Anthropology, Olin 111 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session C, Olin 112 Biological and Medical Sciences, Session D, Smith Callen Conference Center Chemistry and Physics, Section A, Chemistry, Olin A Chemistry and Physics, Section B, Physics, Planetarium Collegiate Academy, Biology Session A, Olin B Collegiate Academy, Biology Session B, Olin 249 Collegiate Academy, Chemistry and Physics, Session B, Olin 324 Earth Science, Olin 224 History/Philosophy of Science, Olin 325 Junior Academy, Judges Check-In, Olin 219 Junior Academy, Junior High REGISTRATION, Olin Hall Lobby Junior Academy, Senior High Competition, (Final), Olin 110 Teaching of Science and Math, Olin 325 Junior Academy, Junior High Competition, Olin 124, Olin 131 NJAS Board/Teacher Meeting, Olin 219 BUSINESS MEETING, OLIN B AWARDS RECEPTION for NJAS, Scholarships, Members, Spouses, and Guests First United Methodist Church, 2723 N 50th Street, Lincoln, N