[SS13] Models in cultural evolution and the application to human prehistory

[SS13-01] Mathematical Prehistory of Homo sapiens: a project overview

*Yuichiro Joe Wakano¹ (1. Meiji University (Japan))

Keywords:

Theory of cultural evolution,PaleoAsia DB,simulation,reaction-diffusion system

“Mathematical Prehistory of Homo sapiens” has been selected as a JSPS Grand-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research FY2024-2028. The major aim is to introduce mathematical modeling in research on the humanities, which is often considered separate from mathematics. As a case study, we apply this methodology to analyze the formation processes of modern human cultures during the extinction of archaic humans 40,000–50,000 years ago. Researchers from mathematical modelling, archaeological analysis, chronological and paleoclimatic analysis, and ethnographic analysis promote the project. The central idea is theory of cultural evolution. Although the project is led by an archaeologist Y. Nishiaki, this project is very unique that mathematical modelling plays a major role to understand the prehistory of Homo sapiens. From mathematical modelling point of view, the project has two building blocks. The first is the statistical analysis of PaleoAsia DB, which is a database of archaeological sites in Asia and the data is compiled so that each layer contains presence/absence of each of lithic modes. Only preliminary statistical analysis has been done so far, and we aim to draw comprehensive understanding of spatiotemporal cultural changes and the related dispersal of sapiens. The second is the eco-cultural range expansion model, which is a reaction-diffusion model where archaic and modern human dispersal are modelled based on ecological interaction plus cultural dynamics. Based on inputs from statistical data analysis and from mathematical modelling analysis, we finally aim to propose simulation researches that provide synthetic understanding of the formation of modern human cultures.