Thinking through Archaeological Complexity

Crabtree, Stefani A.

Thinking Through Archaeological Complexity explores how archaeologists can engage with complex adaptive systems, examining dynamic interactions between humans and environments across space and through time. It offers a roadmap for integrating theory, method, and data through a complexity science lens.
This volume bridges archaeology and complexity science, offering a transdisciplinary framework for understanding long-term socio-ecological dynamics. It provides a substantive overview of how complex adaptive systems science is used in archaeology. Drawing from case studies in the Ancestral Pueblo Southwest, it demonstrates how tools like agent-based modeling, ecological and social network analysis, and settlement scaling reveal emergent patterns in the archaeological record. The book critically examines concepts such as resilience, adaptation, innovation, and transformation, offering alternatives to overly linear narratives. Emphasizing methodological transparency, it provides practical guidance for scholars interested in modeling, data integration, and working across disciplinary boundaries while grounding in theoretical pluralism. By situating archaeological knowledge within broader scientific conversations, the book encourages readers to reimagine the past not as static or collapsed, but as complex, entangled, and instructive for contemporary challenges.