Formal Modelling Approaches to Complexity Science. A Manifesto

Tom Brughmans, John Hanson, Matthew Mandich, Iza Romanowska, Xavier Rubio Campillo, Simon Carrignon, Stephen Collins Elliott, Katherine Crawford, Dries Daems, Francesca Fulminante, Tymon de Haas, Paul Kelly, Maria del Carmen Moreno Escobar, Eleftheria Paliou, Luce Prignano, Manuela Ritondale
December 2019
PDF DOI
Complexity Science in Roman Studies

Abstract

Complexity science refers to the theoretical research perspectives and the formal modelling tools designed to study complex systems. We argue complexity science and formal modelling have great potential for Roman Studies by offering four key advantages; 1) the ability to deal with emergent properties in complex Roman systems; 2) the means to formally specify theories about past Roman phenomena; 3) the power to test aspects of these theories as hypotheses using formal modelling approaches; and 4) the capacity to do all of this in a transparent, reproducible, and cumulative scientific framework. We present a ten-point manifesto that articulates arguments for the more common use in Roman Studies of perspectives, concepts and tools from the broader field of complexity science.

Type
Journal article
Publication
Theoretical Roman Archaeology Journal
Social complexity Complex systems Modelling Roman
Dries Daems
Dries Daems
Assistant Professor in Spatial Digital Humanities

I am Assistant Professor in Spatial Digital Humanities at VU Amsterdam.I got my PhD in Archaeology from KU Leuven. My research interests include social complexity, urbanism, connectivity and information exchange, artisanal production, and human-environment interactions through computational modeling and pottery studies. My core research focus lies in the Hellenistic Mediterranean.

Related