Special Issue of the Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology

The study of past societies requires describing and explaining patterns and their dynamics (diffusion of materials, settlement organization, raw material exchanges, biological indicators of landscape changes, etc.) in a multi-dimensional spatio-temporal environment from incomplete, ambiguous and heterogeneous datasets, which often lead to (retro)prediction.

Though traditional methods remain important to investigate material culture complexes and past human societies over time and space, novel quantitative approaches based on computational modeling are rapidly gaining momentum. Researchers can rely nowadays on multi-modelling approaches from various backgrounds, including conceptual models, data mining and data-driven analysis (e.g. machine learning and stochastic models), spatial analysis and computer simulations, at different stage of the work process.

In such context, this special collection aims at exploring challenges and opportunities offered by bringing together traditional archaeological questions with the most cuttingedge technological applications.

Editors: Maria Elena Castiello, Damase Mouralis, Julie Gravier, Lucie Nahassia

We invite contributions, related with but not limited to, the following complementary thematic studies and methodological approaches:

  • Analysing the emergence and/or the evolution of settlement patterns, network of exchange and/or various limits and “borders”; 
  • Understanding the progressive organisation of territories during various time scale, from archaeological periods to shorter historical times; 
  • Using and crossing all the diversity of evidences and information available, all the diversity of methods used to retrace the “long-time” history territories, whether they are mainly derived from naturalistic approaches, from historical archives, or on numerical methods involving modelling. 
  • Presenting how the successful interdisciplinary collaborations between thematic approaches (from archaeology, history and/or anthropology) and approaches based on spatial analyses, quantitative geography, and/or modelling allow the emergence of new scientific questions and knowledge.

Potential contributors should submit abstracts of about 500 words to Maria Elena Castiello ([email protected]).The submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the editors and a selection of abstracts will be made to ensure content relevance and consistency. 

The authors of selected abstracts will be contacted to submit full manuscripts. The submission and review of full manuscripts will follow the guidelines of the JCAA.