Possibilities and challenges in the use of networks to study socio-economic relations
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2017-02-25

Network theory and network analysis have become integral components in our research on the cultural landscape of the Dutch part of the Roman limes, particularly concerning local-scale transport. The application of network analysis on reconstructed transport networks has provided avenues for approaching both old and new archaeological questions, yet there are many considerations and reservations that have to be made in the process. Both sides of the coin will feature in this paper.
The first part will present the application of formal network analysis on reconstructed transport networks, and what we can interpret from the results, for example related to existing archaeological hypotheses on the socio-economic structure of the region. Using the extensive site dataset and chronological information available, networks of various modes of transport can be compared, the development of transport networks through time can be studied, and the role of individual sites within the network, ranging from rural settlements to Roman castella, can be examined. The second part of the paper will present some challenges that were encountered and considered during our research using network analysis to study transport networks. Firstly, a number of network construction techniques and their merits for building transport networks will be discussed. Secondly, the stability of networks and the robustness of network analysis results under the influence of uncertain information will be presented, showing that a significant part of the results are unreliable, and how that can be used in the interpretation of the network. Finally, the application of an alternative approach to chronological uncertainty in the archaeological site dataset and how that changes the networks is shown.

Mark Groenhuijzen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam