Archaeologies of people and space: Social network analysis of communities and neighborhoods in spatial context

Abstract

Applications of SNA to interpret archaeological evidence have been increasing dramatically, as has an interest in identifying communities and neighborhoods. Social Network Analysis (SNA) can be a lens and a tool to explore neighborhoods and communities with archaeological datasets from a range of temporal periods and regions. The spatial distribution of material culture facilitates the creation of spatially located networks that demonstrate social linkages between individuals or communities. Yet, limitations exist in using archaeological data; we cannot directly ask individuals who they interacted with or for how long – and we must work to combine data and theory in reconstructing emic perspectives. Communities exist interstitially at multiple scales through a combination of relational and categorical identities. Neighborhoods represent a specialized form of community (one of spatially co-located residents with frequent face-to-face interaction that exhibit a union of relational and categorical identity). The articles in this special edition use network theory to identify, reconstruct, and test the presence and extent of communities and neighborhoods in the past, and in doing so they open avenues of research with applicability beyond archaeology.