Modeling protein exchange across the social network in the village multi-agent simulation

The village multi-agent simulation relieves the years of early Pueblo Indian settlers from A.D. 600 to 1300. The objective is to investigate why these settlers abandoned the region. Initial work modeled environmental aspects, such as water and paleoproductivity data, and farming practices of the households or agents. A cultural algorithm is then implemented to model the social networks and learning of exchange practices that evolved across these networks. Kinship, economic and community networks emerged. In this study, we introduce protein resources from simulated deer, hares and rabbits. Next, we enable the agents to hunt for these resources in order to survive. Furthermore, agents who cannot acquire sufficient resources from hunting may invoke their social networks and learn to exchange needed resources. As a result, protein resources presented a stress on the population that may motivate them to exit the region in search of better hunting grounds.