Social Interaction in Hunter-Gatherer Societies: Simulating the Consequences of Cooperation and Social Aggregation

This article describes the design and operation of an agent-based model that represents aspects of hunter-gatherer subsistence, technology, and cultural identity. The agents (representing families or households) in the model interact in a world that has a seasonally variable resource density. Agents must collect resources every step, either independently (by â gatheringâ ) or with cooperation from neighboring agents (â huntingâ ). Several parameters affect cooperation: understanding these effects is one of the main focus of this article. Another focus is understanding the effects of cooperation in terms of cultural diversity/homogeneity. Some input parameters are historically and ethnographically calibrated, and the results are contrasted, with ongoing archaeological research of Patagonian hunter-gatherers (from 7000 BC or even earlier to 19th century). Specific research questions include how do processes of convergence and divergence occur between groups of hunter-gatherers over the long term__ __ How could the autonomous local interactions of heterogeneous bounded rational agents generate this kind of regularity__ __ What role outside influence plays on the formation of ethnic identities__ __ Our aim is to integrate the state-of-the-art knowledge from different social sciences and technological developments into a fruitful approach to develop sociohistorical studies