A theoretically-sufficient and computationally-practical technique for deterministic frequency seriation

Area of Science:

• Archaeology
• Computational Social Science
• Cultural Evolution

Background:

• Frequency seriation is a foundational archaeological method for creating chronologies.
• Previous limitations in quantitative algorithms hindered deterministic seriation solutions for large datasets.
• Probabilistic approaches offer computational efficiency but sacrifice data detail and model fit assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a computationally feasible algorithm for constructing deterministic frequency seriations.
• To enable the study of cultural transmission beyond simple chronological ordering.
• To address limitations of existing seriation methods in handling complex datasets and model violations.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Iterative Deterministic Seriation Solution (IDSS) algorithm.
• Constraining the search space for valid assemblage orders.
• Application of IDSS to frequency seriation for analyzing cultural transmission.

Main Results:

• The IDSS algorithm provides a computationally manageable approach to deterministic seriation.
• The method allows for a more comprehensive use of data features compared to probabilistic methods.
• Analysis of late prehistoric ceramics from the Mississippi River Valley revealed new details on cultural transmission structures.

Conclusions:

• The IDSS algorithm represents a significant step towards resolving long-standing problems in archaeological seriation.
• This new method opens avenues for researching cultural relatedness and transmission.
• IDSS enhances the utility of frequency seriation for contemporary archaeological research questions.