Networks of border zones: multiplex relations of power, religion and economy in South-eastern Europe, 1250-1453 CE

TL;DR

This paper applies multiplex network analysis to late medieval Balkan border zones, revealing how interconnected roads, administration, and religion shaped social interactions amidst political fragmentation from 1250 to 1453 CE.

Contribution

It introduces a novel multiplex networks methodology for analyzing historical social, political, and religious interactions in medieval Balkan border zones.

Findings

Networks exhibit changes and continuities over time.

Combined networks display small-world properties.

Relational data integration reveals complex social frameworks.

Abstract

We demonstrate the application of the multiplex networks-approach for the analysis of various networks which connected individuals and communities in the politically highly fragmented late medieval Balkans (1204-1453 AD) within and across border zones. We present how we obtain relational data from our sources and the integration of these data into three different networks (of roads, state administration and ecclesiastical administration) of various topologies; then we calculate several indicators for influences and overlaps between these different networks which connect the same set of nodes (settlements). We analyse changes and continuities in the topologies of the various networks for three time-steps (1210, 1324 and 1380 CE) and demonstrate the role of these networks as frameworks for social interactions. Finally, we combine all three networks into one network which shows properties observed for the small world model. Thus, we demonstrate possibilities for capturing historical complexity with the help of the multiplex networks approach.