SimulPast -- Simulating the Past to Understand Human Behaviour

Social and environmental transitions represent key aspects to better understand human behaviour. From a complex systems perspective, the most decisive questions about human societal systems are related to the transitions between phases of equilibrium. Therefore, the study of these transitions is extremely interesting in order to move forward with our current understanding of human behaviour at macro, meso and micro-level. In that respect, ancient societies present a great opportunity to build a virtual laboratory in which to model, explore and simulate different hypotheses and theories about social and environmental transitions. This session will act as a showcase of the final results of the SimulPast project (www.simulpast.es). The philosophy on which SimulPast is based is transdisciplinary, evading the traditional division that sees the Humanities and Social Sciences and the often-called “Hard Sciences” as mutually impermeable areas of knowledge. Indeed, the research strategy on which the project has worked crossed many disciplinary boundaries to create a holistic approach.