Human Interaction and Cooperation: A Quantitative Analysis of a Mongolian, Pastoralist Camp

Human cooperation is a universal trait among small scale societies. Cooperation and resource sharing allows for a wide range of flexibility among individuals and groups. It enables us to live in harsh environments, such as the arctic, and survive environmental and social upheaval. This study uses statistical analysis in examining the factors that drive intragroup interaction among Dukha reindeer herders of Mongolia. Data acquired from time lapse images taken of household areas in a Dukha summer camp during July and August of 2012 from an ongoing ethnoarchaeological study are used. Statistical tests are performed to determine which and to what extent factors influence who interacts with whom. This study differs from prior research on the human cooperation by demonstrating the spatial implications of interaction and how cooperation shapes settlement organization and human movement among Mongolian pastoralists.