Detailed Information on Publication Record
2016
Re-Growing Transportation Network of the Roman Empire and the Spread of Christianity: An Agent-based Model
KAŠE, VojtěchBasic information
Original name
Re-Growing Transportation Network of the Roman Empire and the Spread of Christianity: An Agent-based Model
Authors
KAŠE, Vojtěch (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)
Edition
The 5th PeClA 2016 International Postgraduate Conference (Perspectives on Classical Archaeology), Prague, 1. December 2016, 2016
Other information
Language
English
Type of outcome
Prezentace na konferencích
Field of Study
60300 6.3 Philosophy, Ethics and Religion
Country of publisher
Czech Republic
Confidentiality degree
není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství
References:
RIV identification code
RIV/00216224:14210/16:00093233
Organization unit
Faculty of Arts
Keywords in English
christianization; transportation network of the Roman Empire; archaeology of Early Christianity; urbanization of the Roman Empire; historical GIS; coding of historical sources
Tags
Tags
International impact, Reviewed
Změněno: 28/3/2017 16:46, Mgr. Michaela Ondrašinová, Ph.D.
Abstract
V originále
Over the last few decades, the novel quantitative methods like spatial network analysis or computational modelling revealed to become increasingly popular inside archaeology. With an ambition to implement these methods in a field of study which is only rarely approached quantitatively, i.e. the study of ancient Graeco-Roman religions, there emerged an interdisciplinary research project GEHIR at Masaryk University. Being part of this project, this paper evaluates the relevance of methods of agent-based modelling and spatial network analysis for the study of Christianization of the Roman empire. It uses several datasets relevant for the study of travelling through the Roman world, which enable to study processes of diffusion of cultural innovations through this environment. With its origins in 1st century Palestine, Christianity can be approached as such an innovation, which reached some locations earlier than others and blossomed in some places better than others. The paper hypothesizes that despite of the fact that the evidence concerning the spread of Christianity at this early period is extremely scarce, it is possible to identify at least some temporal and spatial patterns, which can be validated by means of agent-based modelling techniques. In words of network theory and generative social science promulgated by Joshua Epstein, this paper assumes that the temporal and spatial distribution of Christianity over the Roman Empire can be re-grown in an artificial simulation environment as a diffusion of innovation process on a Roman transportation network. At this stage of research, our model considers only (1) the place of origins of the cult, (2) documented travel expenses through the Empire, (3) population sizes and economic importance of reachable destinations and (4) exponential grow of Christian number. For the sake of analysis, all the other cultural and environmental variables are omitted from the model at this point, but considered to be implemented later.
Links
| MUNI/M/1867/2014, interní kód MU |
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