# The Diffusion of Humans and Cultures in the Course of the Spread of Farming

## TL;DR

This paper discusses the spread of farming through a diffusive model, highlighting the challenges of radiocarbon data quality and regional variations in understanding the expansion of agriculture and pastoralism.

## Contribution

It analyzes the application of diffusive models to radiocarbon data for understanding the spread of farming, emphasizing data quality and regional differences.

## Key findings

- Radiocarbon data quality affects modeling accuracy.
- Regional variations influence the perceived spread of farming.
- Data gaps and dating uncertainties pose challenges.

## Abstract

The most profound change in the relationship between humans and their environment was the introduction of agriculture and pastoralism. [....] For an understanding of the expansion process, it appears appropriate to apply a diffusive model. Broadly, these numerical modeling approaches can be catego- rized in correlative, continuous and discrete. Common to all approaches is the comparison to collections of radiocarbon data that show the apparent wave of advance of the transition to farming. However, these data sets differ in entry density and data quality. Often they disregard local and regional specifics and research gaps, or dating uncertainties. Thus, most of these data bases may only be used on a very general, broad scale. One of the pitfalls of using irregularly spaced or irregularly documented radiocarbon data becomes evident from the map generated by Fort (this volume, Chapter 16): while the general east-west and south-north trends become evident, some areas appear as having undergone anomalously early transitions to farming. This may be due to faulty entries into the data base or regional problems with radiocarbon dating, if not unnoticed or undocumented laboratory mistakes.