Michael Kempf | University of Basel, Switzerland (original) (raw)

Papers by Michael Kempf

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2024

The transportation of Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age ivory raw materials and artefacts across ... more The transportation of Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age ivory raw materials and artefacts across the Mediterranean has been in the focus of archaeological research for over a century now. However, tracing the flow of ivory has mostly been restricted to traditional theoretical models of raw materials distribution deriving from socio-culturally centred considerations. Environmental conditions, potential transportation networks and dissemination routes have not yet been considered decisive for the spread of ivory raw material from the African shores and the eastern Mediterranean towards the Iberian Peninsula. Implementing computational environmental and archaeological modelling, we present a fully reproducible quantitative approach to estimate potential communication and transportation networks based on environmental covariates. We deploy a Network Analysis model and a predictive model based on Least Cost Path density to propose a potential land-and sea-based movement corridor for the western Mediterranean Basin that could have enabled the cultural spread of resources during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. Using the presented model and the open-source data underlying the analyses, distribution patterns of multiple material resources from different chronological subsets or regions can be developed, which will contribute to understanding prehistoric human patterns across the Mediterranean.

Quaternary Environments and Humans, 2024

During the European Neolithisation Process, a pivotal facet of Neolithic population dynamics lay ... more During the European Neolithisation Process, a pivotal facet of Neolithic population dynamics lay in the capability of agro-pastoral communities to procure high-quality raw material for stone tools. Whether this material was sourced from local geological units or got transported via large-scale communication networks is, however, not yet fully understood. To trace the distribution patterns of Early Neolithic resource dispersal, we present a multicomponent network analysis and the first resource dependency model of Middle Eocene lithic records across western Europe. The model builds on topographic landscape permeability and Bartonian silicite dispersal and estimates the Chaine Operatoire (CO) sequences from i) directly sourced raw material based on accumulative cost functions; ii) chronologically differentiated network models; iii) a probability model of potential site distributions based on a point process model (PPM). We resume that early Neolithic site locations were particularly targeted at connecting to the supraregional resource exchange network that originated from the Paris Basin. Local resource exploitation predominated in the core region of Bartonian silicite distribution whereas distant sites were located on or close to high-probability communication and network corridors. Particularly striking is the differentiation highlighted by the CO segmentation towards the end of the Early Neolithic with distinct patterns of clustered production, intermediate, and dispersed consumer sites. This indicates that major production centres can be expected in close distance to the resource with high consumer density in secondary centres in a star-shaped pattern across the study area.

First Late Antique human isotope and aDNA data from the southern Upper Rhine Valley Multidiscipli... more First Late Antique human isotope and aDNA data from the southern Upper Rhine Valley Multidisciplinary approach revises the hitherto narrative at Basel-Waisenhaus Bioarchaeology challenges the concept of population replacement in the Alamannia This pilot study highlights important gaps in the current state of research

PLoS ONE, 2024

Point Pattern Analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research, particularly in site... more Point Pattern Analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research, particularly in site distribution pattern recognition compared to supra-regional environmental variables. While PPA is now a statistically well-established method, most of the data necessary for the analyses are not freely accessible, complicating reproducibility and transparency. In this article, we present a fully reproducible methodical framework to PPA using an open access database of archaeological sites located in south-west Germany and open source explanatory covariates to understand site location processes and patterning. The workflow and research question are tailored to a regional case study, but the code underlying the analysis is provided as an R Markdown file and can be adjusted and manipulated to fit any archaeological database across the globe. The Early Iron Age north of the Alps and particularly in south-west Germany is marked by numerous social and cultural changes that reflect the use and inhabitation of the landscape. In this work we show that the use of quantitative methods in the study of site distribution processes is essential for a more complete understanding of archaeological and environmental dynamics. Furthermore, the use of a completely transparent and easily adaptable approach can fuel the understanding of largescale site location preferences and catchment compositions in archaeological, geographical and ecological research.

Data in Brief, 2024

The Levant is highly vulnerable to climate change and experiences prolonged heat waves that have ... more The Levant is highly vulnerable to climate change and experiences prolonged heat waves that have
led to societal crises and population displacement. In addtition, the region has been impacted by
further socio-political turmoil at least since 2010, including the Syrian civil war and currently the
escalation of the so-called Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, which strained neighbouring countries like
Jordan due to the influx of Syrian refugees and increases population vulnerability to governmental
decision-making. Jordan, in particular, has seen rapid population growth and significant changes in
land-use and infrastructure, leading to over-exploitation of the landscape through irrigation and
unregulated construction activity. This article uses climate data, satellite imagery, and land cover
information in a multicomponent trend analysis to illustrate the substantial increase in construction
activity and to highlight the intricate relationship between climate change predictions and current
socio-political development in the Levant. The analyses were performed using annual and seasonal
composites of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) NDVI (Normalized
Difference Vegetation Index) datasets with a spatial resolution of 250 m compared to climate indices
of the GLDAS (Global Land Data Assimilation System) Noah Land Surface Model L4 dataset for the
period 2001-2023. Surface reflectance and climatic parameters were then evaluated on the basis of
socio-cultural factors, such as population dynamics, governmental decision-making, water
withdrawal regulations, and built-up change as a result of large-scale migration processes. All
analyses were conducted using R-software and can be reproduced and replicated using the code and
the data provided in this article and the repository.

Data in Brief, 2024

The Levant is highly vulnerable to climate change and experiences prolonged heat waves that have ... more The Levant is highly vulnerable to climate change and experiences prolonged heat waves that have led to societal crises and population displacement. In addtition, the region has been impacted by further socio-political turmoil at least since 2010, including the Syrian civil war and currently the escalation of the so-called Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, which strained neighbouring countries like Jordan due to the influx of Syrian refugees and increases population vulnerability to governmental decision-making. Jordan, in particular, has seen rapid population growth and significant changes in land-use and infrastructure, leading to over-exploitation of the landscape through irrigation and unregulated construction activity. This article uses climate data, satellite imagery, and land cover information in a multicomponent trend analysis to illustrate the substantial increase in construction activity and to highlight the intricate relationship between climate change predictions and current socio-political development in the Levant. The analyses were performed using annual and seasonal composites of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) datasets with a spatial resolution of 250 m compared to climate indices of the GLDAS (Global Land Data Assimilation System) Noah Land Surface Model L4 dataset for the period 2001-2023. Surface reflectance and climatic parameters were then evaluated on the basis of socio-cultural factors, such as population dynamics, governmental decision-making, water withdrawal regulations, and built-up change as a result of large-scale migration processes. All analyses were conducted using R-software and can be reproduced and replicated using the code and the data provided in this article and the repository.

Journal of Arid Environments, 2024

The Levant is a climatically sensitive region that suffers from prolonged heat waves contributing... more The Levant is a climatically sensitive region that suffers from prolonged heat waves contributing to societal crisis and massive population displacements. At least since 2010 and the so-called Arab Spring, the region has experienced recurring socio-political turmoil and the Syrian civil war, which amplified economic and ecological pressure on the neighbouring countries. Particularly in Jordan, the strong population growth in addition to the immigration of hundreds of thousands Syrian refugees has led to massive changes in land-use and built-up infrastructure, resulting in an over-exploitation of the landscape through irrigated crop plantations and unregulated construction activities. Currently, the situation is further socio-politically fuelled by the so-called Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. The interplay of climate variability, built-up change, landcover transformation, and population development, however, is not yet fully understood. In this article, a multicomponent trend analysis from climate variables, satellite imagery, and landcover datasets is presented that highlights the strong increase in building activity over the past decades and emphasizes the interconnection of climate change prediction models and current socio-political development in the Levant. Groundwater exploitation for domestic use, crop production, and industrial purposes will further enhance social inequality, the pressure on the local ecological functionalities, and risks severe and irreversible land degradation.

Call For Papers EAA Rome 2024, 2024

The world is facing intensified rates of adverse climate and environmental change, population gro... more The world is facing intensified rates of adverse climate and environmental change, population growth, and food insecurity. However, challenges that face us today are not totally new and many past societies have struggled with similar issues. But perspectives from the past remain underutilized. In this context, studying human-environment interactions, subsistence strategies, and human and plant response to changing environmental conditions is the most obvious way for archaeology to contribute to the global quest for sustainable solutions to cope with current challenges.

In this session, we are seeking to put together interdisciplinary studies that investigate past food systems in the light of deteriorating paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions. We focus on two major directions:

1- Which methods, models, and datasets are actually suitable to investigate system changes (i.e., the introduction or abandonment of crops, a shift to new agricultural strategies)?
2- What are examples of past system changes and how can these contribute to current debate on food security and adaptation to changing environmental conditions?

Building on these two pillars, we would like to discuss perspectives in interdisciplinary palaeoenvironmental archaeology and archaeobotany.

We appreciate a balance between local, regional, and supraregional studies to integrate various spatial scales into the discussion. Diachronic studies are particularly welcome to investigate transformation processes over time.

Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2023

Large-scale and global explanatory models for past, current, and future human behaviour are curre... more Large-scale and global explanatory models for past, current, and future human behaviour are currently the focus of all the natural sciences and humanities. But to which extent do such models enable the theoretical and methodological discourse that explains the complexity of human patterns in different geographic and ecological set-ups? Such an effort incorporates principles of geography, ecology, and archaeology, as well as attempts for model parameterisation and adaptation. Building on local behaviour with global implications, this paper explores fundamental parameters of environmental connectivity and ecological functionalities in archaeological and ecological research. As a consequence, I hypothesise a Divergence Problem in archaeological and particularly in socioenvironmental models-a mismatch between archaeological data complexity, environmental explanatory variables, and simplicity of the resulting model. Theoretically, the adjustment of global models to regional contextualisation can be achieved by introducing a correction coefficient, hereafter referred to as Glocalization Coefficient, which could allow for the comparison between regional environmental driving factors and individual human activity spheres.

The transportation of Bronze Age ivory raw material and artefacts across the Mediterranean has be... more The transportation of Bronze Age ivory raw material and artefacts across the Mediterranean has been in the focus of archaeological research for over a century now. However, tracing the ow of ivory has mostly been restricted to traditional theoretical models of raw material distributions deriving from socioculturally centred considerations. Environmental conditions, potential transportation networks and dissemination routes have not yet been considered decisive for the spread of ivory raw material from the African shores and the Eastern Mediterranean towards the Iberian Peninsula. Implementing computational environmental and archaeological modelling, we present a fully reproducible quantitative approach to estimate potential communication and transportation networks based on environmental covariates. We deploy a Network Analysis model and a predictive model based on Least Cost Path density to propose a potential land-and sea-based movement corridor for the western Mediterranean Basin that could have enabled the cultural spread of ivory during the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC.

in Miera, J. (ed.): NARRATING THE PAST: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EPISTEMOLOGY, EXPLANATION AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

A multi-actor behavioural approach has recently entered the discussion about resilience, (in)stab... more A multi-actor behavioural approach has recently entered the discussion about resilience, (in)stability, and system transformation in archaeology and the social sciences in general. The ecological, economic, and socio-cultural contextualization aims at integrating a processual component into the ecosystem’s functionality and the adaptive cycle of human-environmental interaction on different spatial and temporal scales. In this paper, we explore the methodological potential and limitations of the (eco)system (in)stability theory and integrate functional landscape connectivity and performative landscape affordances into a human-environment response model. Our approach contributes to complex system theory from the perspective of the landscape and what we think can be termed ecosystem archaeology with a focus on resilience theory. We suggest resilience not as static construction but rather as a constant adaptation to augmented system insecurity and a dramatically increased risk of collapse

iScience, 2023

The Basel-Waisenhaus burial community (Switzerland) has been traditionally interpreted as immigr... more The Basel-Waisenhaus burial community (Switzerland) has been traditionally interpreted as immigrated Alamans because of the location and dating of the burial ground – despite the typical late Roman funeral practices. To evaluate this hypothesis, multi-isotope and aDNA analyses were conducted on the eleven individuals buried there. The results show that the burial ground was occupied around AD 400 by people belonging largely to one family, whereas isotope and genetic records most probably point toward a regionally organized and indigenous, instead of an immigrated, community. This strengthens the recently advanced assumption that the withdrawal of the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian limes after the ‘‘Crisis of the Third Century AD’’ was not necessarily related to a replacement of the local population by immigrated Alamannic peoples, suggesting a long-lasting continuity of occupation at the Roman periphery at the Upper and High Rhine region.

PLoS ONE, 2023

Multicomponent environmental models have increasingly found their way into archaeological researc... more Multicomponent environmental models have increasingly found their way into archaeological research. Mostly, these models aim to understand human patterns as a result of past climatic and environmental conditions over long-term periods. However, major limitations are the low spatial and temporal resolution of the environmental data, and hence the rather static model output. Particular challenges are thus the number of chosen variables, the comprehensiveness of the explanatory parameters, and the integration of socio-cultural decision-making into the model. Here, we present a novel approach to generate annually resolved landcover variability using a broad variety of climatic, geological, hydrological, topographical, and dendrochronological data composites (Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI)). We analyze land-use and settlement capacity and vulnerability to estimate the socio-cultural transformation processes at Basel (Switzerland) during the Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Our results highlight the potential of the PDSI to predict local river runoff behavior from catchment analyses. The model enables to trace landcover as well as socio-cultural response to climatic variability and subsequent adaptation to trends in environmental vulnerability. This approach further helps to understand population dynamics in the periphery of the Roman administrative boundaries and to revise traditional archaeological narratives of large-scale population replacements during the so-called Migration Period.

Vegueta, 2023

Point pattern analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research that models large-sca... more Point pattern analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research that models large-scale distributions of sites and explanatory covariates. As such, there has been increased interest in the bias
of archaeological distributions, which mostly have an impact due to modern land-use change. These interactions, however, have not yet been fully explored. In order to better understand archaeological point patterns as functions of explanatory covariates, we offer three different approaches: (i) environmental preference modelling of archaeological records in different chronological phases; (ii) a custom bias surface that represents the variability of the regional landscape; (iii) an R-package (rbias) allowing the generation of a fuzzified bias surface based on Open Street Map (OSM) data.

PLoS ONE, 2023

Vegueta, 2023

Point pattern analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research that models large sca... more Point pattern analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research that models large scale distributions of sites and explanatory covariates. Further interest has been put on the bias of archaeological distributions, mostly impacting from modern land-use change. These interactions, however, are not yet fully explored. We present three different approaches to understand archaeological point patterns as functions of explanatory covariates: (i) environmental preference modelling of archaeological records at different chronological phases; (ii) a custom bias surface that represents the regional landscape variability; (iii) a R-package (rbias) that enables generating a fuzzified bias surface based on Open Street Map (OSM) data.

Environ Monit Assess, 2023

Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme ev... more Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme events, such as hot drought periods, mega heat waves, and persistent flooding and flash floods. Intensified land degradation, land use, and landcover changes further amplified the pressure on the environmental system functionalities and fuelled climate change feedbacks. On the other hand, global satellite observations detected a positive spectral greening trend-most likely as a response to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and global warming. But which are the engines behind such shifts in surface reflectance patterns, vegetation response to global climate changes, or anomalies in the environmental control mechanisms? This article compares long-term environmental variables (1948-2021) to recent vegetation index data (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 2001-2021) and presents regional trends in climate variability and vegetation response across Europe. Results show that positive trends in vegetation response, temperature, rainfall, and soil moisture are accompanied by a strong increase in climate anomalies over large parts of Europe. Vegetation dynamics are strongly coupled to increased temperature and enhanced soil moisture during winter and the early growing season in the northern latitudes. Simultaneously, temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture anomalies are strongly increasing. Such a strong amplification in climate variability across Europe further enhances the vulnerability of vegetation cover during extreme events.

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2023

Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme ev... more Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme events, such as hot drought periods, mega heat waves, and persistent flooding and flash floods. Intensified land degradation, land use, and landcover changes further amplified the pressure on the environmental system functionalities and fuelled climate change feedbacks. On the other hand, global satellite observations detected a positive spectral greening trend—most likely as a response to rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming. But which are the engines behind such shifts in surface reflectance patterns, vegetation response to global climate changes, or anomalies in the environmental control mechanisms? This article compares long-term environmental variables (1948–2021) to recent vegetation index data (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 2001–2021) and presents regional trends in climate variability and vegetation response across Europe. Results show that positive trends in vegetation response, temperature, rainfall, and soil moisture are accompanied by a strong increase in climate anomalies over large parts of Europe. Vegetation dynamics are strongly coupled to increased temperature and enhanced soil moisture during winter and the early growing season in the northern latitudes. Simultaneously, temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture anomalies are strongly increasing. Such a strong amplification in climate variability across Europe further enhances the vulnerability of vegetation cover during extreme events.

Germania, 2022

Oliver Nakoinz, Zentralität. Theorie, Methoden und Fallbeispiele zur Analyse zentraler Orte. Berl... more Oliver Nakoinz, Zentralität. Theorie, Methoden und Fallbeispiele zur Analyse zentraler Orte. Berlin Studies of the Ancient World Band 56. Edition Topoi, Berlin 2019. € 33.90. ISBN 978-3-9819685-4-5. doi: https://doi.org/10.17171/3-56. 238 pages.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2024

Quaternary Environments and Humans, 2024

PLoS ONE, 2024

Data in Brief, 2024

The Levant is highly vulnerable to climate change and experiences prolonged heat waves that have ... more The Levant is highly vulnerable to climate change and experiences prolonged heat waves that have led to societal crises and population displacement. In addtition, the region has been impacted by further socio-political turmoil at least since 2010, including the Syrian civil war and currently the escalation of the so-called Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, which strained neighbouring countries like Jordan due to the influx of Syrian refugees and increases population vulnerability to governmental decision-making. Jordan, in particular, has seen rapid population growth and significant changes in land-use and infrastructure, leading to over-exploitation of the landscape through irrigation and unregulated construction activity. This article uses climate data, satellite imagery, and land cover information in a multicomponent trend analysis to illustrate the substantial increase in construction activity and to highlight the intricate relationship between climate change predictions and current socio-political development in the Levant. The analyses were performed using annual and seasonal composites of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) datasets with a spatial resolution of 250 m compared to climate indices of the GLDAS (Global Land Data Assimilation System) Noah Land Surface Model L4 dataset for the period 2001-2023. Surface reflectance and climatic parameters were then evaluated on the basis of socio-cultural factors, such as population dynamics, governmental decision-making, water withdrawal regulations, and built-up change as a result of large-scale migration processes. All analyses were conducted using R-software and can be reproduced and replicated using the code and the data provided in this article and the repository.

Journal of Arid Environments, 2024

Call For Papers EAA Rome 2024, 2024

Building on these two pillars, we would like to discuss perspectives in interdisciplinary palaeoenvironmental archaeology and archaeobotany.

Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2023

in Miera, J. (ed.): NARRATING THE PAST: ARCHAEOLOGICAL EPISTEMOLOGY, EXPLANATION AND COMMUNICATION, 2023

iScience, 2023

PLoS ONE, 2023

Vegueta, 2023

PLoS ONE, 2023

Vegueta, 2023

Environ Monit Assess, 2023

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2023

Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme ev... more Europe witnessed a strong increase in climate variability and enhanced climate-induced extreme events, such as hot drought periods, mega heat waves, and persistent flooding and flash floods. Intensified land degradation, land use, and landcover changes further amplified the pressure on the environmental system functionalities and fuelled climate change feedbacks. On the other hand, global satellite observations detected a positive spectral greening trend—most likely as a response to rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming. But which are the engines behind such shifts in surface reflectance patterns, vegetation response to global climate changes, or anomalies in the environmental control mechanisms? This article compares long-term environmental variables (1948–2021) to recent vegetation index data (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), 2001–2021) and presents regional trends in climate variability and vegetation response across Europe. Results show that positive trends in vegetation response, temperature, rainfall, and soil moisture are accompanied by a strong increase in climate anomalies over large parts of Europe. Vegetation dynamics are strongly coupled to increased temperature and enhanced soil moisture during winter and the early growing season in the northern latitudes. Simultaneously, temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture anomalies are strongly increasing. Such a strong amplification in climate variability across Europe further enhances the vulnerability of vegetation cover during extreme events.

Germania, 2022

CfP EAA Rome 2024, 2024

Building on these two pillars, we would like to discuss perspectives in interdisciplinary palaeoenvironmental archaeology and archaeobotany.

Strontium isotope analyses are considered a useful tool to understand mobility patterns of past h... more Strontium isotope analyses are considered a useful tool to understand mobility patterns of past human individuals. However, the interpretation of the 87Sr/86Sr isotope data is closely linked to the determination of a local baseline range, which is controlled and biased by a variety of geographical, geological, and hydrological parameters at different spatio-temporal scales. Scattered site locations and heterogeneous sample compositions do not allow for the interpolation of supraregional strontium isotope baselines. In this context, the extensive database of the DFG-funded interdisciplinary project Bevölkerungsgeschichte des Karpatenbeckens in der Jungsteinzeit und ihr Einfluss auf die Besiedlung Mitteleuropas (coordination: Eszter Bánffy and Kurt W. Alt; DFG-grant number Al 287/10-1) is used to determine local to micro-regional strontium baselines of Neolithic sites in Hungary through the integration of multivariate environmental analyses. The comprehensive GIS-based model allowed for the determination of the specific site location parameters based on palaeo-environmental and modern datasets such as geological and pedological units, hydrological conditions, flooding vulnerability, and vegetation development. The integration of remotely sensed-data, high resolution GIS-attributes, and the isotope signals led to the development of the first strontium isomap of Hungary. This project represents an innovative approach in bioarchaeology and will enable further research.

EAA 2020 Budapest, 2020

Multivariate landscape analyses have proven their applicability for the evaluation of local envir... more Multivariate landscape analyses have proven their applicability for the evaluation of local environmental feedbacks on various spatio-temporal scales. The integration of pedological, geological, hydrological, and topographical data allows to predict potential land-use strategies and anthropogenic activity ranges in the landscape. Unfortunately, palaeo-environmental information is scarcely available-what affects comprehensive reconstructions of past human behavior. On the other hand, strontium isotope analyses are considered a useful tool to understand mobility patterns of past human individuals. However, the interpretation of the 87Sr/86Sr isotope data is closely linked to the determination of a local baseline, which in turn is biased by a variety of environmental parameters. Scattered site locations and heterogeneous sample compositions do not allow for the interpolation of supraregional strontium isotope baselines. This paper presents a comprehensive GIS-based model to determine site location parameters from palaeo-environmental and modern datasets. The integration of remote sensing, GIS-attributes, and isotope data enables the assessment of local subsistence strategies and the determination of the first strontium isomap of Hungary.

Theoretical Approaches to Computational Archaeology, 2021

The final programme for this year's CETAG meeting at BRNO is finally online! We will meet (IN PER... more The final programme for this year's CETAG meeting at BRNO is finally online! We will meet (IN PERSON) the 19th to 20th of Ocotber at the Department of Archaeology and Museology at Brno.

For more information and registration, please drop me an email:

kempf(aettt)phil.muni.cz

CE_TAG 2021 annual meeting. Abstract Book, 2021

Past two decades brought us a growth in use of computational methods and big data in archaeologic... more Past two decades brought us a growth in use of computational methods and big data in archaeological research. This resulted in a significant shift in the research of human past and an increasing number of publications covering a broad spectrum of topics from remote sensing applications to site distribution or network analyses. Simultaneously, a strong countermovement from the humanities part of archaeology appeared and criticized these research approaches for lacking theory or even ‘dehumanization’ of the discipline. This gives an impression of two camps in conflict with each other – mostly based on the prejudices of ‘cultural emphases’ by one group and the ‘gloss-over-culture attitude’ by the other. However, both research approaches are much needed to be used together. After all, the ‘third science revolution’ in archaeology is defined by such collaboration. How effectively do we combine the archaeological theory with computational techniques? Are there any pitfalls? Which practices should we avoid? Is computational archaeology really without theory?

Call for papers CE TAG 2021, 2021

_______________________________________________________________ CE-TAG Central European Theor... more _______________________________________________________________

CE-TAG
Central European Theoretical Archaeology Group
7th Annual Meeting
Masaryk University at Brno

– Call for Papers –

Theoretical Approaches to Computational Archaeology

Conference dates:
Tuesday, 19th – Wednesday, 20th of October 2021

Conference venue:
Department of Archaeology and Museology
Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Past two decades brought us a growth in use of computational methods and big data in archaeological research. This resulted in a significant shift in the research of human past and an increasing number of publications covering a broad spectrum of topics from remote sensing applications to site distribution or network analyses. Simultaneously, a strong countermovement from the humanities part of archaeology appeared and criticized these research approaches for lacking theory or even ‘dehumanization’ of the discipline. This gives an impression of two camps in conflict with each other – mostly based on the prejudices of ‘cultural emphases’ by one group and the ‘gloss-over-culture attitude’ by the other. However, both research approaches are much needed to be used together. After all, the ‘third science revolution’ in archaeology is defined by such collaboration. How effectively do we combine the archaeological theory with computational techniques? Are there any pitfalls? Which practices should we avoid? Is computational archaeology really without theory?

In the 7th annual CE-TAG meeting at Brno 2021, we want to explore the theoretical potential of quantitative and digital archaeological research to contribute to a modern and comprehensive archaeology, which aims at understanding past human behavior and environmental and socio-cultural transformations. This year' s logo, expresses our approach to understand the past as realistic as possible, using a minimum of information and excluding overinterpretation. The Villa Tugendhat in Brno, chosen for this purpose and built in the functionalist style by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, represents not only simplicity of the exterior but also, in a model-like way, the concentration of form on the interior and its actual function.

We consider communications of 15 minutes with a subsequent 5 minutes discussion that contribute to sharpening the outlook of a theoretical and methodological approach to quantitative and digital archaeology.

Organising committee: Michael Kempf, Jan Kolář, Petr Pajdla, and Jiří Macháček; Institute of Archaeology and Museology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Arne Nováka 1, Brno 60200, Czech Republic

Please send abstracts (up to 250 words) of your paper proposals including your contact information and affiliation details by the 15th of July 2021 to kempf@phil.muni.cz. The official language of the conference is English.

Applied Point Pattern Analysis in Archaeology, 2021

Reproducible Spatial Pattern Recognition and Point Pattern Analysis in Landscape Archaeology Th... more Reproducible Spatial Pattern
Recognition and Point Pattern
Analysis in Landscape Archaeology

The increasing use of quantitative methods and computer-based
analytical tools in scientific work is accompanied by a crisis of
reproducibility. This is mainly due to the lack of basic knowledge
of how to use computers, how to integrate data into them and how
to transform them into an analysable form. In combination with
proprietary software, this creates a world of science whose findings
are no longer comprehensible by other colleagues, and corresponding
findings are more like advertising promises than genuine knowledge
generation. This is a paradox, since it is very easy to work transparently
and comprehensively in the field of computer-based data analysis - at
least if certain basic rules of scientific work are considered.

New skills are best acquired through trial and error. Accordingly,
in this series of events we focus very much on practice and teach
participants the core competencies of transparent and reproducible
work by means of a landscape archaeological point pattern analysis.
Due to the current situation, the event will take place digitally.
The individual blocks can also be attended individually, however,
the September course requires R knowledge. Attendance at the R
introduction is sufficient for this.

Please enrol for the three different courses separately by email:
office@sfb.uni-kiel.de. We will then send you further information.
Please note that all events are entirely digital. You will receive the link
for the video conference in given time after registration

Organisers:
Franziska Faupel, Daniel Knitter,
Oliver Nakoinz, Michael Kempf,
Gerrit Günther und Steffen Strohm
Telephone:
+49 431 880-5926
Email to: office@sfb1266.uni-kiel.de

Institute for Pre- and Protohistory at Kiel University
www.ufg.uni-kiel.de/en
Department of Geography, Landscape Ecology and
Geoinformation
www.geographie.uni-kiel.de/en
ISAAK
www.sfb1266.uni-kiel.de/en isaakiel.github.io

The session focuses on the Carpathian Basin as a social and cultural melting pot during the Neoli... more The session focuses on the Carpathian Basin as a social and cultural melting pot during the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. Due to its location at the interface of diverse environments and historical landscapes it had the character of a contact zone and was an arena for numerous instances of interaction, which resulted in manifold forms of material culture linking distinct parts of Eurasia. In the past, archeologists aimed to tackle the challenges of interpreting the materials by creating various cultural groups and studying their chronological positioning. In the last decades new research methods (e.g. Bayesian approach of radiocarbon dating, multidisciplinary field survey, aDNA) together with new theoretical perspectives provided the means of studying materials, sites or microregions in a refined fashion. As a result, the prehistoric narratives of regional and supra-regional level have become increasingly detailed (event-based resolution). The arising challenge is twofold: firstly, the integration of heterogenous datasets and contradictory perspectives on the past, secondly, to implement findings into scientifically-sound concepts (social organization, landscape perception, technological studies), and, lastly, to integrate the dynamics of the distinguished aspects.

The aim of this session is to discuss the details of transmission and transformation processes from the social archaeological perspective, compare the different periods and focus on diachronic change. We would like to consider the ways of integrating legacy and recent datasets towards answering new questions related to the Carpathian Basin.

We welcome contributions to the following questions:
-How did new traditions, ideas and practices spread between the Carpathian Basin and adjacent regions?
-How can different research methods be used to formulate coherent models on settlement patterns, natural environment and social organization?
-How can we quantify the scales of the transformation in different periods?
-How are current research models and theories affecting the interpretation of past findings?

4th Central European Theoretical Archaeology Group CE TAG 2017, Vienna

EAA 2019, BERN

Events are triggers. Well, otherwise archaeology might be in a bad state. Events trigger processe... more Events are triggers. Well, otherwise archaeology might be in a bad state. Events trigger processes? Or is it the other way around? Doesn't matter, we determine which interpretation we prefer as a narrative for change and development. We are creating the longue durée. Of course, constant development in the materialization of ideas and concepts are essential components for the interpretation of archaeologically relevant societies and their adaptation strategies to their immediate environment. But ultimately all innovations lead to collapse-either on the process-oriented axis of socioeconomic parameters or because of short-term changes in environmental conditions. But what does short-term mean? And on which scales do event and process differ regarding the interpretation of social, cultural and economic changes? Despite their periodic recurrence, events are masked by long-term developments and are therefore not perceived as actual triggers. This is reflected in the classification and thus modeling of processes that simulate structures and patterns. In reality, they are simple adaptations to periodic events. This article aims to discuss the integration of long-term and short-term monitoring of landscapes and human behavior in terms of their impact on natural feedbacks.

Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference The 2017 Annual International Confer... more Royal Geographical Society

Annual International Conference

The 2017 Annual International Conference will be held at the Royal Geographical Society in London, from Tuesday 29 August to Friday 1 September 2017.

EAA 2017 Maastricht 30 August - 3 September 2017

Colloque international / Internationale Tagung à l’occasion des 20 ans du / anlässlich des 20 -... more Colloque international /
Internationale Tagung
à l’occasion des 20 ans du /
anlässlich des 20
-
jährigen Jubiläums des
Collegium Beatus Rhenanus
Migrations, mobilité et transferts culturels
:
le cas des régions frontalières dans l’Antiquité
Migrationen, Mobilität und
Kulturtransfer:
Grenzregionen in der Antike
Les 2
-
4 novembre 2017
/
2
.
-
4
. November
2017
Salle des Conseils (MU, Mulhouse), Salle des Conférences (MISHA, Strasbourg)

Dienstag, 4.07.2017 Ort: 9. Deutscher Archäologiekongress, 03. – 08.07.2017 in Mainz

Digital Archaeology: Quantitative approaches, spatial statistics and socioecological modelling, 2019

FORMAT AND SESSIONS The colloquium will consist of three main sessions dealing with the topics...... more FORMAT AND SESSIONS The colloquium will consist of three main sessions dealing with the topics... • quantitative approaches in spatial and non-spatial archaeological case studies • data mining and new techniques of supervised and unsupervised pattern recognition in archaeological and environmental datasets • applications and approaches to socioecological modelling on different scales and temporal resolution INVITED SPEAKERS

Call for papers Frontières – Intégrations – Sciences : Le Rhin Supérieur en transformation Work... more Call for papers
Frontières – Intégrations – Sciences : Le Rhin Supérieur en transformation
Workshop du Frankreich-Zentrum et de l’Institut d’Archéologie Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Lieu et date: 10.02.2020, 9:00–18:30; Haus zur Lieben Hand, Löwenstraße 16, 79098 Fribourg en Brisgau
Organisateurs: Margaux Depaermentier et Michael Kempf
Pour des doctorants et jeunes chercheurs des domaines de la géographie, des
sciences politiques, de la linguistique et des études classiques

AG CAA AG Computeranwendungen und Quantitative Methoden in der Archäologie Workshop 8 -I- Heidel... more AG CAA
AG Computeranwendungen und Quantitative Methoden in der Archäologie
Workshop 8 -I- Heidelberg 2017

Modelling of archaeology in landscape becomes more and more prominent in multidisciplinary resear... more Modelling of archaeology in landscape becomes more and more prominent in multidisciplinary research projects concerning material and human mobility, settlement dispersal, economy and exchange. However, a more holistic understanding of the interaction among human, material and environmental spheres in space requires consideration of the scale of previous mental and natural boundaries. What role did topography, a river system or a coastline play in the process of linking or separating groups and individuals and thus their relationships? An even bigger question is to what extent the perception of landscape in past times can be traced with a modern conception of space and time.

1. The production of space and landscape: theoretical framework

The first part of this conference focuses on the construction of space on different sociological and archaeological levels. Cognitive, material, anthropogenic and environmental spheres are not always and necessarily congruent. Archaeologists might be able to grasp the expansion of an idea or the function of a things's sphere. Although the equation of the spatial requirement and the actual expansion of a human action area need to be reconsidered.

2. The production of space and landscape: applied theory

A second part deals with possible applications, methodological approaches and solution strategies to access and model human behaviour in landscape. In this context, the surrounding landscape is understood as the ordering body of the individual or group‘s spatial extent. However, we must ask to what degree it is possible to model mental constructions of space and landscape. This section considers the possibility of differentiating landscapes into physical and cognitive categories. We welcome approaches from archaeology as well as neighbouring diciplines to gather further multidisciplinary insights.

We consider communications of 15 minutes with a subsequent five minutes discussion.

The official language of the conference is English.

Organising committee: Michael Kempf, Margaux Depaermentier, Archaeological Institute, Dep. Early Medieval and Medieval Archaeology, University of Freiburg.

Please send abstracts (250 words) of your paper proposals including your contact and affiliation details by 15th June 2018 to michael.kempf@archaeologie.uni-freiburg.de