Simulation of Natural and Social Process Interactions in Bronze Age Mesopotamian Settlement Systems John H. Christiansen and Mark Altaweel ABSTRACT New multi-model simulations of Bronze Age Mesopotamian settlement system dynamics, using advanced object-based simulation frameworks, are addressing fine-scale interaction of natural processes (crop growth, hydrology, etc.) and social processes (kinship-driven behaviors, farming and herding practices, etc.) on a daily basis across multi-generational model runs. Key components of these simulations are representations of initial human populations that are demographically and socially plausible, and detailed models of social mechanisms that can produce and maintain realistic textures of social structure and dynamics over time. The paper describes the simulation framework and presents results of initial studies highlighting its social system representations. 1 Introduction The University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute and Argonne National Laboratory are embarked upon a five-year research project sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s Biocomplexity in the Environment initiative. The principal thrust of the project is the use of advanced computer modeling and simulation techniques to examine the dynamic processes underlying and driving the development and sustainment or demise of settlement systems in both the rain-fed northern and irrigated southern regions of ancient Mesopotamia. Other papers by project team members in this session address the conceptual basis and supporting data for a dynamic model of ancient Mesopotamian settlement systems. This paper describes the actual computer simulation framework that is being constructed to bring the conceptual design to life. Our paper will briefly outline the advanced computer simulation architectures that make this project feasible, and will describe how some of the conceptual models discussed in the other papers from our project in this session are being implemented within our simulation engine. The computer modeling approach for several of the key natural and social processes and their interactions will be described, with particular emphasis on some of the early social process representations. We will then identify the chief defining parameters for a simple northern Mesopotamian village modeling scenario, and will describe some of the preliminary results from our initial pilot studies. Page 1 of 18