Mixture model of pottery decorations from Lake Chad Basin archaeological sites reveals ancient segregation patterns

dc.contributor.author

O'Brien, JD

dc.contributor.author

Lin, K

dc.contributor.author

MacEachern, S

dc.date.accessioned

2018-10-10T03:29:56Z

dc.date.available

2018-10-10T03:29:56Z

dc.date.issued

2016-03-30

dc.date.updated

2018-10-10T03:29:51Z

dc.description.abstract

We present a new statistical approach to analysing an extremely common archaeological data typeâ potsherdsâ that infers the structure of cultural relationships across a set of excavation units (EUs). This method, applied to data from a set of complex, culturally heterogeneous sites around the Mandara mountains in the Lake Chad Basin, helps elucidate cultural succession through the Neolithic and Iron Age. We show how the approach can be integrated with radiocarbon dates to provide detailed portraits of cultural dynamics and deposition patterns within single EUs. In this context, the analysis supports ancient cultural segregation analogous to historical ethnolinguistic patterning in the region. We conclude with a discussion of the many possible model extensions using other archaeological data types.

dc.identifier.issn

0962-8452

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1471-2954

dc.identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10161/17586

dc.publisher

The Royal Society

dc.relation.ispartof

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

dc.relation.isversionof

10.1098/rspb.2015.2824

dc.title

Mixture model of pottery decorations from Lake Chad Basin archaeological sites reveals ancient segregation patterns

dc.type

Journal article

duke.contributor.orcid

MacEachern, S|0000-0002-4859-3998

pubs.begin-page

20152824

pubs.end-page

20152824

pubs.issue

1827

pubs.organisational-group

Duke Kunshan University

pubs.organisational-group

Duke

pubs.organisational-group

Duke Kunshan University Faculty

pubs.publication-status

Published

pubs.volume

283

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