Andrea Manzo, full professor of Ethiopian Archaeology and Antiquities, Nile Valley Archaeology and Nubian Antiquities, Gilda Ferrandino and Luisa Sernicola, technologists at the Department of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean of the University of Naples L’Orientale.

" ... we are Andrea Manzo, full professor of Ethiopian Archaeology and Antiquities, Nile Valley Archaeology and Nubian Antiquities, Gilda Ferrandino and Luisa Sernicola, technologists at the Department of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean of the University of Naples L’Orientale. For many years we have been studying ancient societies in North-East Africa and the Northern Horn of Africa with the aim of reconstructing the trajectories of social, economic and linguistic development and the dynamics of human-environment interaction over a long period. We also deal with digital applications to archaeology and cultural heritage. We conduct research activities in Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

The laboratory

Having been using the Agent Based Modeling methodology for some time in collaboration first with the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Naples Federico II and currently with the LABSS CNR, we have organized together with the LABSS the laboratory for archaeologists "Simulate the past: agent models for the study of ancient societies" with the aim of introducing students to this investigation methodology. The laboratory provides the theoretical and practical basis for the application of agent models for the study of ancient societies starting from archaeological data. During the course, all aspects relating to the formalization of archaeological data and the elaboration of a virtual environment and the rules of action of the agents are addressed. The basic knowledge for the use of the Netlogo software is also provided.