Using Human Rational Behavior to Reconstruct Events of Scarce Archaeological Evidence

Abstract

Using Human Rational Behavior to Reconstruct Events of Scarce Archaeological Evidence David Luria Abstract This paper demonstrates the application of Human Rational Behavior for the reconstruction of a series of five successive events bearing scarce archaeological evidence. The case analyzed here is the relationship between Egypt and the Arava during the 13th-10th centuries BCE. During this period, the copper produced in the Arava was a strategic and economically significant resource. The Egypt–Arava relationship is regarded here as a conflict of interest between two large producers of copper – Timna and Faynan – trying to maximize their revenues, and Egypt, a large consumer of this metal who wished to achieve a lasting supply at minimum price. To this end, the political situation, economic interests and possible strategies of each concerned party are analyzed along five specific periods of scarce evidence. The reconstruction achieved exhibits an expanded and enhanced understanding of the history along the entirety of the tested period. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jaa.v8n2a1