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1 - Introducing Network Science for Archaeology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2023

Tom Brughmans  and
Matthew A. Peeples
Tom Brughmans
Affiliation:
Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
Matthew A. Peeples
Affiliation:
Arizona State University
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Summary

Networks are nothing more than a set of entities and the pairwise connections among them. This simple definition encompasses a tremendous amount of variation from communication systems like the internet to power grids to neurons in the brain to road systems and flights between airports to our own social networks defined through familial ties, acquaintance, or any manner of interaction one could imagine. Over the last 20 years or so, academic interest in networks and the complex properties of network systems has grown by leaps and bounds. This has been mirrored by a growing excitement by the public in general (see best-selling works including Barabási and Frangos 2014 and Watts 2004). It is not uncommon these days to see networks and network visuals used as explanatory tools in news stories or popular articles shared across social media (another kind of network) exploring the complicated connections among characters in television shows, books, or people and organizations involved in news stories. Everyone, it seems, is excited about networks and networks are everywhere.

Type
Chapter
Information
Network Science in Archaeology , pp. 1 - 25
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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References

Further Reading

The following resources provide detailed accounts of the history and applications of archaeological network research using a broad array of examples.

In addition to the above archaeological resources, the following general network texts provide excellent introductions to the history of network research, network science, and some of the most common applications.

Brughmans, Tom 2010 Connecting the Dots: Towards Archaeological Network Analysis. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 29(3):277–303.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom 2013 Networks of Networks: A Citation Network Analysis of the Adoption, Use and Adaptation of Formal Network Techniques in Archaeology. Literary and Linguistic Computing, The Journal of Digital Scholarship in the Humanities 28(4):538–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, Collar, Anna, and Coward, Fiona 2016 The Connected Past: Challenges to Network Studies in Archaeology and History. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, Mills, Barbara J., Munson, Jessica L., and Peeples, Matthew A. 2023 The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Network Research. Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, and Peeples, Matthew A. 2017 Trends in Archaeological Network Research. Journal of Historical Network Research 1(1):1–24.Google Scholar
Collar, Anna, Coward, Fiona, Brughmans, Tom, and Mills, Barbara J. 2015 Networks in Archaeology: Phenomena, Abstraction, Representation. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 22(1):1–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2011 An Archaeology of Interaction: Network Perspectives on Material Culture and Society. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2013 Network Analysis in Archaeology: New Approaches to Regional Interaction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2014 Avant-propos. Dossier: Analyse des réseaux sociaux en archéologie. Nouvelles de l’archéologie 135:5–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mills, Barbara J. 2017 Social Network Analysis in Archaeology. Annual Review of Anthropology 46:379–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peeples, Matthew A. 2019 Finding a Place for Networks in Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Research 27:451–499.Google Scholar
Barabási, Albert-László, and Frangos, Jennifer 2014 Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
Borgatti, Stephen P., and Halgin, Daniel S. 2011 On Network Theory. Organization Science 22(5):1168–1181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandes, Ulrik, Robins, Garry, McCrainie, A. N. N., and Wasserman, Stanley 2013 What Is Network Science? Network Science 1(1):1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coscia, Michelle 2021 The Atlas for the Aspiring Network Scientist. www.networkatlas.eu.Google Scholar
Freeman, Linton C. 2004 The Development of Social Network Analysis: A Study in the Sociology of Science. Empirical Press, Vancouver.Google Scholar
Knoke, David H., and Yang, Song 2008 Social Network Analysis. 2nd ed. SAGE, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Scott, John, and Carrington, Peter J. 2011 The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis. SAGE, London.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom 2010 Connecting the Dots: Towards Archaeological Network Analysis. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 29(3):277–303.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom 2013 Networks of Networks: A Citation Network Analysis of the Adoption, Use and Adaptation of Formal Network Techniques in Archaeology. Literary and Linguistic Computing, The Journal of Digital Scholarship in the Humanities 28(4):538–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, Collar, Anna, and Coward, Fiona 2016 The Connected Past: Challenges to Network Studies in Archaeology and History. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, Mills, Barbara J., Munson, Jessica L., and Peeples, Matthew A. 2023 The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Network Research. Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, and Peeples, Matthew A. 2017 Trends in Archaeological Network Research. Journal of Historical Network Research 1(1):1–24.Google Scholar
Collar, Anna, Coward, Fiona, Brughmans, Tom, and Mills, Barbara J. 2015 Networks in Archaeology: Phenomena, Abstraction, Representation. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 22(1):1–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2011 An Archaeology of Interaction: Network Perspectives on Material Culture and Society. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2013 Network Analysis in Archaeology: New Approaches to Regional Interaction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2014 Avant-propos. Dossier: Analyse des réseaux sociaux en archéologie. Nouvelles de l’archéologie 135:5–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mills, Barbara J. 2017 Social Network Analysis in Archaeology. Annual Review of Anthropology 46:379–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peeples, Matthew A. 2019 Finding a Place for Networks in Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Research 27:451–499.Google Scholar
Barabási, Albert-László, and Frangos, Jennifer 2014 Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
Borgatti, Stephen P., and Halgin, Daniel S. 2011 On Network Theory. Organization Science 22(5):1168–1181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandes, Ulrik, Robins, Garry, McCrainie, A. N. N., and Wasserman, Stanley 2013 What Is Network Science? Network Science 1(1):1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coscia, Michelle 2021 The Atlas for the Aspiring Network Scientist. www.networkatlas.eu.Google Scholar
Freeman, Linton C. 2004 The Development of Social Network Analysis: A Study in the Sociology of Science. Empirical Press, Vancouver.Google Scholar
Knoke, David H., and Yang, Song 2008 Social Network Analysis. 2nd ed. SAGE, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Scott, John, and Carrington, Peter J. 2011 The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis. SAGE, London.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom 2010 Connecting the Dots: Towards Archaeological Network Analysis. Oxford Journal of Archaeology 29(3):277–303.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom 2013 Networks of Networks: A Citation Network Analysis of the Adoption, Use and Adaptation of Formal Network Techniques in Archaeology. Literary and Linguistic Computing, The Journal of Digital Scholarship in the Humanities 28(4):538–562.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, Collar, Anna, and Coward, Fiona 2016 The Connected Past: Challenges to Network Studies in Archaeology and History. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, Mills, Barbara J., Munson, Jessica L., and Peeples, Matthew A. 2023 The Oxford Handbook of Archaeological Network Research. Oxford University Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Brughmans, Tom, and Peeples, Matthew A. 2017 Trends in Archaeological Network Research. Journal of Historical Network Research 1(1):1–24.Google Scholar
Collar, Anna, Coward, Fiona, Brughmans, Tom, and Mills, Barbara J. 2015 Networks in Archaeology: Phenomena, Abstraction, Representation. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 22(1):1–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2011 An Archaeology of Interaction: Network Perspectives on Material Culture and Society. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2013 Network Analysis in Archaeology: New Approaches to Regional Interaction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knappett, Carl 2014 Avant-propos. Dossier: Analyse des réseaux sociaux en archéologie. Nouvelles de l’archéologie 135:5–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mills, Barbara J. 2017 Social Network Analysis in Archaeology. Annual Review of Anthropology 46:379–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peeples, Matthew A. 2019 Finding a Place for Networks in Archaeology. Journal of Archaeological Research 27:451–499.Google Scholar
Barabási, Albert-László, and Frangos, Jennifer 2014 Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
Borgatti, Stephen P., and Halgin, Daniel S. 2011 On Network Theory. Organization Science 22(5):1168–1181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandes, Ulrik, Robins, Garry, McCrainie, A. N. N., and Wasserman, Stanley 2013 What Is Network Science? Network Science 1(1):1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coscia, Michelle 2021 The Atlas for the Aspiring Network Scientist. www.networkatlas.eu.Google Scholar
Freeman, Linton C. 2004 The Development of Social Network Analysis: A Study in the Sociology of Science. Empirical Press, Vancouver.Google Scholar
Knoke, David H., and Yang, Song 2008 Social Network Analysis. 2nd ed. SAGE, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Scott, John, and Carrington, Peter J. 2011 The SAGE Handbook of Social Network Analysis. SAGE, London.Google Scholar

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