Archaeologists are increasingly relying on computer simulations to reconstruct and understand past societies. They are successfully building and running simulations of agrarian production, trade, settlement development and movement, to name a few. With the proliferation of modelling approaches, it is imperative that these simulations are made accessible and can be used as input for future research. This project will set up a platform, Modelplaza, to host a library of models and algorithms for simulating the past, as well as training materials to enable wider engagement from researchers, now and in the future.
ModelPlaza will host an open library of model algorithms and code developed by the international consortium Network for Agent-based modelling of Socio-ecological Systems in Archaeology (NASSA). It will build upon the NASSA-hub (https://archaeology-abm.github.io/NASSA-hub/). The Modelplaza platform will be the first repository of simulation algorithms and code snippets in the field of the Humanities and the largest coordinated undertaking of this kind in the field. It will redefine current practices in collaboration and synergy in modelling communities by developing an openly available and functional modules library, offering a host of elements as building blocks for elaborate and case-driven models and research questions.
