Aims to clarify the reasons for using systems models and computer simulations in seeking to understand dynamic cultural patterns. Computer simulations grow logically out of the steps taken by archaeology in the past century: from random data collection to cultural description, proceeding through chronological ordering to interest in process, and finally to systems construction. The chapters cover simulations within the framework of four case studies, from site abandonment in Wetherill Mesa, Colorado, to urban growth and decay in ancient Rome; from hunting and gathering to agriculture, and from feudalism to capitalism. The contributors use critical mathematical tools to describe cultural processes, construct and evaluate simulation models, and explore the potential of archaeology’s unique data in the study of long-term cultural change.
