Over the last two decades quantitative archaeology has become my main area of interest. My activities range from original research and teaching to editing a Springer book series on Quantitative Archaeology and Archaeological Modelling. All my projects are characterised by the integration of theory and method, since theory forms the basis for developing sound and appropriate methods.

Quantitative Arachaeology (QA)

Although statistics is one of the best known components of QA, it cannot be reduced to statistics. QA is made up of much more. It also covers simulations and modelling as well as spatial analysis. In its core, QA is about formal analysis of archaeological issues. These formal analyses often deal with numbers but more importantly QA applies mathematical approaches and concepts in order to model and explore structures in data. It has to be considered, that QA is not a self-sufficient sub-discipline. QA is complementary to hermeneutic approaches. In addition QA requires strong connections to other fields of research which provide high level theories, which are required for interpretation. The odtm-balance is important (objective, data, theory and method). Modelling is one of several formal approaches which are related to QA. Conceptual and quantitative models are mapping our ideas of relationships of data and real world facts. In contrast to a wide spread opinion, models cannot be reduced to simulations which are just a certain type of model. Although, QA possesses a valuable and well developed tool box of statistical algorithms, QA as a conceptual approach is still an underdeveloped field of research.

From a technical point of view, my expertise covers cluster analysis and classification, graph theory and network analysis, point pattern analysis and simulations, density calculation and interpolation, regression and predictive modelling. My preferred software is GNU R

Topics

Cultural Areas

My starting point in QA was the analysis of cultural spaces. In order to present an analysis, which is not based on outdated assumptions, I developed a culture theory based on the work of Klaus Peter Hansen which is not contaminated with questionable interpretations (ethnic interpretation) and strange connotations. According to my interpretation, cultural areas are nothing but interaction areas. In contrast to the traditional concept of archaeological cultures I assume:

  • fuzzy borders
  • individuals are members of multiple cultures
  • spatial delimited cultures are a special case of cultures

My methodology is based on cluster analysis and all methodological parameters are set according to the applied theory.

References

  • Laurie Tremblay Cormier, Oliver Nakoinz and Cătălin Nicolae Popa, Three Methods for Detecting Past Groupings: Cultural Space and Group Identity. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 2017. URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10816-017-9350-2
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Archäologische Kulturgeographie der ältereisenzeitlichen Zentralorte Südwestdeutschlands. Universitätsforsch. Prähist. Arch. 224 (Bonn 2013). amazon
  • Krausse, Dirk and Nakoinz, Oliver (eds.) (2009). Kulturraum und Territorialität: Archäologische Theorien, Methoden, Fallbeispiele. Kolloquium des DFG-SPP 1171 Esslingen 17.-18. January 2007. Internationale Archäologie, Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Symposium, Tagung, Kongress 13 (Rahden 2009) vml amazon
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2004). Studien zur räumlichen Abgrenzung und Strukturierung der älteren Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur. Universitätsforsch. Prähist. Arch. 118 (Bonn 2005) und elektronische Dissertation (Kiel 2004). macau
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2016). Rekonstruktion kultureller Räume anhand digitaler Kartierungen. U. Dietz u. A. Jockenhövel (Hrsg.), 50 Jahre ‘Prähistorische Bronzefunde’. Bilanz und Perspektiven (Stuttgart 2016) 251-265.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2014). Fingerprinting Iron Age Communities in South-West-Germany and an Integrative Theory of Culture. In: C. Popa, C., Stoddart, S. (eds.), Fingerprintig the Iron Age (Oxford 2014) 187-199.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2010). Kulturelle Räume der älteren Eisenzeit in Südwestdeutschland. In: Krausse, Dirk and Beilharz, Denise (eds.). ‘Fürstensitze’ und Zentralorte der frühen Kelten. Abschlußkolloquium des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 1171. Teil II. Forsch. u. Ber. Vor- u. Frühgesch. Baden-Württemberg 120 (Stuttgart 2010) 317-332.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver and Steffen, Christoph (2009). Siedlungshierarchien und kulturelle Räume II ‘Die kulturellen und sozialen Dimensionen des Raums. In: Karl, R. and Leskovar, J. (ed.). Interpretierte Eisenzeiten. Fallstudien, Methoden, Theorie. Tagungsbeiträge der 3. Linzer Gespräche zur interpretativen Eisenzeitarchäologie. Studien zur Kulturgeschichte von Oberösterreich 22 (Linz 2009) 191-206.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2009). Die Methode zur quantitativen Untersuchung kultureller ähnlichkeiten im Rahmen des Projektes ‘Siedlungshierarchien und kulturelle Räume’. In: Krausse, D. and Nakoinz, O. (ed.). Kulturraum und Territorialität: Archäologische Theorien, Methoden, Fallbeispiele. Kolloquium des DFG-SPP 1171 Esslingen 17.-18. January 2007. Internationale Archäologie’ Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Symposium, Tagung, Kongress 13 (Rahden 2009) 87-97.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver, Krausse, Dirk and Steffen, Markus (2008). Siedlungsarchäologie und archäologische Kulturgeographie. In: Krausse, D. and Biel, J. (ed.). Frühe Zentralisierungs- und Urbanisierungsprozesse nördlich der Alpen. Kolloquien und Arbeitsberichte des DFG-SPP 1171 (Stuttgart 2008) 381-398.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver and Steffen, Markus (2007). Siedlungshierarchien, kulturelle Räume, soziale Evolution und Territorialität im 8. bis 4. Jahrhundert v. Chr. in Südwestdeutschland und den angrenzenden Regionen. In: Trebsche, P., Balzer, I., Eggl, C., Koch, J., Nortmann, H. and Wiethold, J. (eds.). Die unteren Zehntausend - auf der Suche nach den Unterschichten der Eisenzeit. Beiträge zur Tagung der AG Eisenzeit in Xanten 2006 (Langenweissbach 2007) 149-156.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver and Krausse, Dirk (2005). Siedlungshierarchie und kulturelle Räume: Ziele und Konzepte. In: Krausse, D. and Biel, J. (ed.). Frühe Zentralisierungs- und Urbanisierungsprozesse nördlich der Alpen. Kolloquien und Arbeitsberichte des DFG-SPP 1171 (Tübingen 2005).[Link] (http://w210.ub.uni-tuebingen.de/dbt/volltexte/2005/1907/; URN:urn:nbn:de:bsz:21-opus-19072)
  • Krausse, Dirk, Nakoinz, Oliver and Steffen, Markus (2005). Siedlungshierarchien und kulturelle Räume. In: Biel, J. and Krausse, D. (ed.), Beiträge des Gutachter-Kolloquiums in Bonn, 5. December 2005. Link
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2004). Studien zur räumlichen Abgrenzung und Strukturierung der älteren Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur. Arch. Inf. 27, 2004, 195-198.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2003/2004). Studien zur räumlichen Abgrenzung und Strukturierung der älteren Hunsrück-Eifel-Kultur. Starigard Jahresber. FUFG 2003/2004, 18-21.

Conferences

  • Regensburg 2016: Konferenz ‘Kollektive und Netzwerke in der Archäologie und den den Altertumswissenschaften. ‘Funding: Hansen Stiftung
  • Esslingen 2007: DFG-Kolloquium ‘Kulturraum und Territorialität’, in collaboration with Dirk Krausse, Esslingen

Interaction and transportation

Interaction can be considered as one of the most important drivers of historical, economical and social processes. The cultural area analysis enables us to map interaction areas. Another useful tool for analysing spatial interaction are interaction models. These models can for example, map interaction density or a proxy for interaction density over geographical distances.

Transportation is just a facet of the topic of interaction. The modelling of road and pathway systems using least cost analysis and approaches from graph theory and network analysis may provide many insights on systems of interaction.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Räumliche Interaktionsmodelle. Prähist. Zeitschr. 88, 226-257.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2012). Verkehrswege der älteren Eisenzeit in Südwestdeutschland. In: Tappert, C., Later, C., Fries-Knoblach, J., Ramsl, P., Trebsche, P., Wefers, S. and Wiethold, J. (ed.). Wege und Transport (Beiträge zur Sitzung der AG Eisenzeit während der 80. Verbandstagung des West- und Süddeutschen Verbandes für Altertumsforschung e.V. in Nürnberg 2010). BUFM 65 (Langenweilbach 2012), 73-82.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2012). Ausgewählte Parameter der Lage von Wegen und Monumenten als Proxy für soziale Prozesse prähistorischer Gesellschaften. In: Hinz, M. and Müller, J. (eds.). Siedlung, Grabenwerk, Großsteingrab. Studien zu Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Umwelt der Trichterbechergruppen im nördlichen Mitteleuropa. Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung 2 (Bonn 2012) 445-456.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Models of Interaction and Economical Archaeology. Metalla 20/2, 107-115.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2006). Kommunikation und Kontrolle zur Wikingerzeit in der Kieler Bucht - Ein Beitrag zur Methode der Sichtanalyse. Arch. Schleswig 11, 95-103.

Conferences

  • Paris 2018: XVIII° congrès mondial de l’UISPP, Session ‘Modelling Spheres of Interaction in the European First Millennium BC’, in collaboration with Aurélia Feugnet, Paris, Clara Filet, Paris and Franziska Faupel, Kiel
  • Lublin 2017: ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, Workshop 5: Economy, production, trade and far distance connections, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Piotr Łuczkiewicz, Lublin and Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo
  • Kiel 2017: ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, Workshop 4: Discontinuity, change, transition and crises, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo
  • Kiel 2017: International Open Workshop 2017 GSHDL, Sektion 6 ‘Exploring inter-regional interactions in the first Millennium BC in Europe’, in collaboration with Dr. Simon Stoddart, Cambridge, Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo, Dr. Jutta Kneisel, Kiel and Franziska Faupel, Kiel; Funding: GSHDL
  • Uppsala 2016: LAC 4, Section A2 ‘Interactions in archaeology’, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. James Allison, Provo, Dr. Aleksandr Diachenko, Kiev, Franziska Faupel, Kiel, Dr. Daniel Knitter, Berlin and Prof. Dr. Ezra Zubrow, Buffalo
  • Strasbourg 2016: Projektworkshop ‘I​nteraktion-­ und Distributionsmodelle der frühen Eisenzeit’, in collaboration with Franziska Faupel, Kiel; Funding: DFG
  • Odense 2016: ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, Workshop 2: Formation Processes, in collaboration with Dr. Mads Runge and Prof. Dr. Jes Martens, Oslo; Funding: Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, MUE50.2016-0014
  • Kiel 2015: Kick off meeting ‘Regional and Transregional interaction between the Baltic and the Mediterranean Spheres in the first Millennium BC’, in collaboration with Jes Martens, Oslo; Funding: Deutsch-Norwegisches Studienzentrum (DNSZ)
  • Kiel 2013: International Open Workshop 2013 GSHDL, Session 13 ‘The Spread of Information and Goods - Modeling Interaction, Communication and Exchange’, Session organization in collaboration with Martin Hinz and Johannes Müller, all Kiel

Summer Schools

  • Écoles thématiques du CNRS ‘Modelling spheres of Interactions: Networks in archaeological research (MOSAICnet)’, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Katherine Gruel (Paris), Prof. Dr. Patrice Brun (Paris), Clara Filet (Paris), Franziska Faupel (Kiel) and Dr. Catalin Popa (Leiden), Bibracte - Centre Archéologique Européen du Mont Beuvray 2018 link
  • Summer School ‘Modelling spheres of interaction’, in collaboration with Dr. Daniel Knitter und Franziska Faupel, funded by the Internationalisierungsfond of Kiel University, CAU Kiel, Kiel 2016. link

Centrality, Territoriality and Urbanism

Centrality and Territoriality are concepts of spatial organization. While territoriality is a concept of coping with limited spatial resources, centrality is a concept dealing with the optimal organisation of spatial interaction. We have to distinguish two types of centrality: – Christaller centrality: after Christaller, a place can be considered central, when it exerts control over its surrounding territory to such a degree which is higher than can be expected by its size.

  • Network centres: control the exchange between other places.

Based on empirical analyses I developed the gateway model of princely seats of the Early Iron Age. Furthermore I developed a more generalised concept of centrality.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2017). Quantifying Iron Age urbanism. In: S. Stoddart (ed.), Delicate urbanism in context: pre-Roman German urbanism. (The DAAD Cambridge Symposium) (Cambridge 2017) 87-95.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2017). Modelle der Polyzentralität. Beilke-Voigt, Ines, and Nakoinz, Oliver (eds. 2017). Enge Nachbarn: Das Problem von Doppelburgen und Mehrfachburgen in der Bronzezeit und im Mittelalter. Edition Topoi (Berlin 2017). 125-144.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Archäologische Kulturgeographie der ältereisenzeitlichen Zentralorte Südwestdeutschlands. Universitätsforsch. Prähist. Arch. 224 (Bonn 2013). amazon
  • Krausse, Dirk and Nakoinz, Oliver (eds.) (2009). Kulturraum und Territorialität: Archäologische Theorien, Methoden, Fallbeispiele. Kolloquium des DFG-SPP 1171 Esslingen 17.-18. January 2007. Internationale Archäologie, Arbeitsgemeinschaft, Symposium, Tagung, Kongress 13 (Rahden 2009) vml amazon
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2012). Models of Centrality. In: Wiebke Bebermeier, Robert Hebenstreit, Elke Kaiser, Jan Krause (ed.), Landscape Archaeology. Conference (LAC 2012). eTopoi Special Volume 3, 217-223.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2009). Zentralortforschung und zentralörtliche Theorie. Arch. Korrbl. 39, 361-380.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2014). Zentralort. In: Moelders, Doreen, Wolfram, Sabine (eds.), Schlüsselbegriffe der Prähistorischen Archäologie (Münster 2014) 333-338.
  • Knitter, Daniel, Nakoinz, Oliver, Del Fabbro, Roslwitha, Kohlmeyer, Kai, Meyer, Michael, Schütt, Brigitta (2014). The centrality of Aleppo and its environs. eTopoi 3, 107-127.
  • Knitter, Daniel, Blum, Hartmut, Horejs, Barbara, Nakoinz, Oliver, Schütt, Brigitta and Meyer, Michael (2013). Integrated centrality analysis - A diachronic comparison of Western Anatolian habitats. Quaternary International 312, 45-56. Link.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Zentralorte in parallelen Raumstrukturen. In: S. Hansen u. M. Meyer (eds.). Parallele Raumstrukturen. Topoi Berlin Studies of the Ancient World 16 (Berlin 2013), 83-103.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2011). Territorien und Zentrale Orte der älteren Eisenzeit. In: Molodin, V. and Hansen, Svend (eds.). ‘Terra Scythica’ Materialien des internationalen Symposiums ‘Terra Scythica’ (17.-23. August 2011, Denisov-Höhle, Altai (Novosibirsk 2011) 185-191.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2010). Concepts of Central Place Research in Archaeology. In: Kiel Graduate School ‘Human Development in Landscapes’ (ed.). Landscapes and Human Development: The Contribution of European Archaeology. Proceedings of the International Workshop ‘Socio-environmental dynamics over the last 12,000 years: the creation of landscapes (1st-4th April 2009)’ (Bonn 2010) 251-264.
  • Krauße, Dirk and Nakoinz, Oliver (2000). Binnenkolonisation und Zentralisation. überlegungen zur latènezeitlichen Besiedlungs- und Bevölkerungsentwicklung im Mittelgebirgsraum nordwestlich der Mosel. In: Guichard, V., Sievers, S. and Urban, O. H. (eds.). Les processus d’urbanisation â l’Âge du Fer. Collection Bibracte 4, Congress Glux-en-Glenne 1998, (Glux-en-Glenne 2000) 127-140.

Modelling

I am working on models in different ways. Firstly, the concept of modelling and the theoretical background is very important to me. Secondly on the practical side, I am applying different kinds of models including analytical models, agent based models, least cost models, interaction models, Voronoi models. The volume Modelling Human Behaviour in Landscapes aims to cover the most important topics in landscape archaeology.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver and Knitter, Daniel (2016). Modelling Human Behaviour in Landscapes - Basic concepts and modelling elements. Quantitative Archaeology and Archaeological Modelling 1 (New York 2016). QAAM1
  • Bebermeier, Wiebke, Knitter, Daniel, Nakoinz, Oliver (eds.) (2015). Bridging the Gap – Integrated Approaches in Landscape Archaeology. eTopoi. Journal for Ancient Studies. Special Volume 4, 2015. etopoi
  • Nakoinz, Oliver, Hinz, Martin (2015). Modelle in der Archäologie. In B. Thalheim, Bernd, Nissen, Ivor (ed.). Wissenschaft & Kunst der Modellierung - Kieler Zugang zur Definition, Nutzung und Zukunft (Berlin/Boston 2015) 119-249.

Conferences

  • Kiel 2017: International Open Workshop 2017 GSHDL, Sektion 7 ‘Quantitative approaches as basis for simulation of prehistoric economy and environment’, in collaboration with Dr. Walter Dörfler, Dr. Ingo Feeser, Prof. Wiebke Kirleis and Dr. Martin Hinz, all Kiel; Funding: GSHDL
  • Siena 2015: CAA 2015 - Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Session ‘Archaeological Theory and Statistical Modelling. Bridging the Gap’, Session organization in collaboration with Catalin Popa, Berlin und Laurie Tremblay Cormier, Freiburg/Strassbourg
  • Rom 2014: LAC 3, Session 6 ‘Bridging the gap - integrated approaches in landscape archaeology’ in collaboration with Daniel Knitter and Wiebke Bebermeier, all Berlin
  • Kiel 2012: Internationaler GSHDL-Workshop ‘Modeling environmental and social change in focus of economic relations’Funding: DFG/GSHDL

Summer Schools

  • Summer School ‘Modelling in landscape archaeology’, in collaboration with Dr. Daniel Knitter (Kiel) and Ricarda Braun (Berlin), Exzellenzcluster TOPOI, FU Berlin und Graduiertenschule ‘Human Development in Landscapes’, CAU Kiel, funded by Exzellenzcluster TOPOI, Berlin 2017.
  • Winter School ‘Modelling human Behaviour in Landscapes’, in collaboration with Daniel Knitter (Berlin), Exzellenzcluster TOPOI, FU Berlin and Graduate School ‘Human Development in Landscapes’, CAU Kiel, Berlin 2014.
  • Summer School ‘Modelling human behaviour in landscapes’, Graduiertenschule ‘Human Development in Landscapes’, CAU Kiel, Kiel 2013. link1 link2

Spatial analysis

The topic of spatial analysis, in addition to spatial models, covers pure statistical analysis and mathematical methods of spatial problems. Spatial analyses are very important to me, since they form the methodological basis of landscape archaeology and geographical applications in archaeology. My activities include the co-organisation of the working group spatial analysis of the Johanna Mestorf Academy.

References

Conferences

  • Kiel 2017: International Open Workshop 2017 GSHDL, Sektion 8 ‘Spatial analysis for understanding ancient human-landscape developments’, in collaboration with Dr. Liang Yang, Kiel and Nicole Grunert, Kiel; Funding: GSHDL
  • Kiel 2016: Round Table Spatial Analysis: Rekonstruktion verlorener Kulturlandschaften – reconstruction of lost cultural landscapes, in collaboration with Nicole Grunert, Kiel; Funding: GSHDL

Chronology

Developing chronologies and handling chronological data is still one of the main issues in archaeology. I have developed concepts of how to handle chronological data based on the theory of fuzzy sets.

References

  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2012). Datierungskodierung und chronologische Inferenz - Techniken zum Umgang mit unscharfen chronologischen Informationen. Prähist. Zeitschr. 87, 189-207.

Classification

Classification is one of the most relevant research topics since all terms covering more than one object are representing classes of objects. Universal proposals being one of the central elements in reasoning are not possible without classes. Classification is covering traditional typology as well as numerical classification.

References

  • Laurie Tremblay Cormier, Oliver Nakoinz and Cătălin Nicolae Popa, Three Methods for Detecting Past Groupings: Cultural Space and Group Identity. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 2017. URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10816-017-9350-2
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2013). Archäologische Kulturgeographie der ältereisenzeitlichen Zentralorte Südwestdeutschlands. Universitätsforsch. Prähist. Arch. 224 (Bonn 2013). amazon
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2014). Fingerprinting Iron Age Communities in South-West-Germany and an Integrative Theory of Culture. In: C. Popa, C., Stoddart, S. (eds.), Fingerprintig the Iron Age (Oxford 2014) 187-199.
  • Nakoinz, Oliver (2010). Kulturelle Räume der älteren Eisenzeit in Südwestdeutschland. In: Krausse, Dirk and Beilharz, Denise (eds.). ‘Fürstensitze’ und Zentralorte der frühen Kelten. Abschlußkolloquium des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 1171. Teil II. Forsch. u. Ber. Vor- u. Frühgesch. Baden-Württemberg 120 (Stuttgart 2010) 317-332.

Conferences

  • Tübingen 2017: CAA 2017 - Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Session “Computational classification in archaeology”, Session Organisation for ISAAKiel.
  • Schleswig 2014: Runder Tisch Typologie 2 / Round Table Typology 2 In collaboration with Ulf Ickerodt, Schleswig; Funding: Archäologisches Landesamt Schleswig-Holstein
  • Schleswig 2012: Runder Tisch Typologie / Round Table Typology, in collaboration with Ulf Ickerodt, Schleswig; Funding: Archäologisches Landesamt Schleswig-Holstein

Complexity

Complexity is the characterisation of systems with properties such as emergences, butterfly effect, thresholds and non linear interrelationships. Complexity plays a central role in real world systems and possess increasing significance for social systems and socio-environmental systems. In particular society has to be seen as complex system and this view offers a wide range of new interpretations of historical processes. Modest changes of certain factors which would cause marginal changes of the system can trigger substantial transformations and even crises of systems.

References

Conferences

  • Kiel 2015: Internationaler GSHDL-Workshop ‘The Complex Society of the Iron Age’, in collaboration with Timothy Taylor, Vienna, Maria Gelabert Oliver, Kiel, Karina Iwe, Kiel, Artur Ribeiro, Kiel und Manuel Fernández-Götz, Edinburgh; Funding: DFG/GSHDL