Patagonian Ethnogenesis: towards a computational simulation approach

The basis of this research project is the computer simulation of the emergence of ethnicity and cultural differentiation in prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. Instead of working directly on a universal theoretical model, we have preferred a predictive simulation of a historical case (ancient Patagonia) where the knowledge about the simulated social system is available at the necessary level of detail, using data from archaeological, ethnological, and historical research. The aim of this research is to test existing social theories of social evolution through history by creating a simple computer model of a society in a theoretically possible historical context, in such a way that we may identify yet unknown social relationships and interactions.