Research Training Program

Teresa Nichols
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

J. Daniel Rogers, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Anthropology

"Seeing all of the research and collections
behind the public face of the NMNH has been amazing, but it has been even more rewarding to be an integral part of some of that research. RTP is a lot more than just research though, and the people here are intelligent, driven, and definitely special."

Climate as a Factor in Modeling Mongolia

The Mongolian steppes are known for great empires like Genghis Khan's Mongols, but the pastoral (herding) nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian region has existed for over 4,000 years. To better understand the development of social complexity and formation of the later large steppe empires, it is necessary to examine the dynamics of the human-environment relationship in nomadic pastoralist societies evident from the beginning in Bronze Age societies. The interplay between ecology, herds, and humans is highly influential on social organization and movement. Due to the significant challenges and variability of the Mongolian environment, sustainable lifestyles and herding practices are also a key factor in examining both prehistoric and modern societies. HouseholdWorld, an agent-based simulation model developed by computer scientists at George Mason University in conjunction with archaeological research by National Museum of Natural History scientists, explores that relationship in order to determine the most successful strategies households develop in artificial conditions based on real-world information. These simulations involving weather events allow us to identify the most important characteristics of a sustainable society and in recovering from weather disasters. These results have implications for long-term historical development and contemporary herding lifestyles.

This research was supported by a generous donation from the Honorable Max Berry.