Agent-Based Modeling in Archaeology and Anthropology: From Homo sapiens Migrations to Cultural Dynamics. A Critical Review

Abstract

Introduction. Agent-based modeling (ABM) is a computational approach used to explore complex social and cultural processes by simulating the behaviors of individual agents–people or groups–within a defined environment. By incorporating individual variation, agent interactions, and responses to environmental conditions, ABM is particularly valuable for reconstructing past patterns of migration, settlement, and the evolution of social institutions. Although widely adopted in international archaeology and anthropology, ABM remains underutilized in Russian research contexts.

Materials and methods. This review is based on academic publications available in open sources and identified through specialized search platforms such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Semantic Scholar. From over 70 initial records, 25 studies were selected that met the criteria of model reproducibility and interdisciplinary integration of archaeological, genetic, and climatic data.

Results. ABM has been applied to a wide range of prehistoric scenarios, including the Out-of-Africa dispersal of Homo sapiens, the Neolithic expansion, Eurasian population movements, interactions between migrants and indigenous groups, and the cultural evolution of language and institutions. These models highlight the roles of climate, population density, and social norms in shaping human behavior and long-term dynamics.

Discussion. Despite its strengths, ABM faces several challenges, including sensitivity to parameter choices, limited reproducibility, and simplified representations of culture. Advancing the method requires better integration of biological, social, and cultural dimensions, along with open access to model code and data for transparency and replication.

Conclusion. ABM represents an emerging research paradigm that links micro-level agent behavior with macro-level processes of social, demographic, and cultural evolution. It offers a powerful interdisciplinary framework for exploring human prehistory and alternative trajectories of societal development.

Acknowledgements. The study was conducted under the state assignment of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

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