Francesca Fulminante, born in Rome, Italy, in 1973. Ph.D. from University of Cambridge. Affiliated Researcher at the University of Cambridge.
Fellow (1 September 2009 – 30 June 2010)
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
My project at NIAS explored the potential of Social Network Analysis in archaeology by experimentally applying this tool to predict the emergence of a central place in Bronze and Early Iron Age Latium vetus.
In particular a number of settlement networks were modeled on the basis of: 1) a distance-based approach (PPA); 2) ‘permanent’ natural communications means such as rivers; and, 3) ‘historical’ connections, such as terrestrial routes.
Then a number of SNA centrality indexes were calculated for the different networks, and the results compared against the archaeological and historical knowledge on the sites.
As result, SNA measures were able to predict a good percentage of major centres but a statistical analysis of the results emphasised a very strong correlation between major sites and roads during the Early Iron Age, while the relationship to rivers was positive but not so significant.