Their work, which links ancient climate and archaeological data, could help modern communities identify new crops and other adaptive strategies when threatened by drought, extreme weather and other environmental challenges.
In a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jade d’Alpoim Guedes, assistant professor of anthropology, and WSU colleagues Stefani Crabtree, Kyle Bocinsky and Tim Kohler examine how recent advances in computational modeling are reshaping the field of archaeology.
"Computational modeling gives us an unprecedented ability to identify what worked for these people and what didn’t."
He launched the Village Ecodynamics Project in 2001 to simulate how virtual Pueblo Indian families, living on computer-generated and geographically accurate landscapes, likely would have responded to changes in specific variables like precipitation, population size and resource depletion.
By comparing the results of agent-based models against real archeological evidence, anthropologists can identify past conditions and circumstances that led different civilizations around the world into periods of growth and decline.
‘Video game’ plays out to logical conclusion Agent-based modeling is also used to explore the impact humans can have on their environment during periods of climate change.
"It enables us to not only predict the effectiveness of growing different crops and other adaptations but also how human societies can evolve and impact their environment."
Bocinsky and d’Alpoim Guedes are using the modeling technique to identify little-used or in some cases completely forgotten crops that could be useful in areas where warmer weather, drought and disease impact food supply.
"Cultivating Hopi corn and other traditional, drought-resistant crops could become crucial for human survival in other places impacted by climate change."
"These millets are on the verge of becoming forgotten crops," d’Alpoim Guedes said.

No Drought and Normal Fire Season Expected in NW.
For the first time since 2011, the Pacific Northwest isn’t showing any signs of drought.
Kathie Dello, deputy director of Oregon’s climate office, says the Northwest saw lots of precipitation during the water year that began in October.
She says snow and rain came earlier and stayed later.
Idaho had its wettest January to April on record, breaking the previous record set in 1904.
Seattle also broke its record for wettest April.
Dello says reservoirs are full and the region has ample mountain snowpack.
In it’s latest report, the the center credits the wet and cool weather for keeping the threat of potentially large fires low until late June or early July.
Current projections do not indicate an early arrival for fire season.
However, if July and August turn out to be warmer and drier than typical, the region may see normal or even heavier-than-normal large fire activity late in fire season depending upon the amount of lightning received.

Washington, neighbors all drought-free after wet winter.
Looking for a silver lining after Seattle’s gray, rainy winter?
After a historically wet few months, there are currently no drought warnings for the Evergreen state.
Brian Fuchs of the National Drought Mitigation Center said the improvement in the region’s drought conditions began last year, when a strong El Niño pattern unexpectedly impacted areas further north than usual.
This year’s rainy weather led to more steady improvement.
That’s nearly 50 percent more precipitation than the yearly average of just over 30 inches over the same time period and about a half-inch more than the previous October through April.
Showers are expected on and off throughout the weekend, with the best chance of accumulation coming on Saturday and Monday.
Established in 199, the U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map of drought conditions produced jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Seattlepi.com reporter Stephen Cohen can be reached at 206-448-8313 or stephencohen@seattlepi.com.
Follow Stephen on Twitter at @scohenPI.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Final Environmental Document Allows Transfer of Recaptured San Joaquin River Restoration Program Flows to Pleasant Valley Water District in 2017.
The FONSI is based on the analysis of potential impacts analyzed and disclosed in the 2013 Recirculation of Recaptured Water Year 2013-2017 San Joaquin River Restoration Program Flows Environmental Assessment.
The district is located in southwestern Fresno County and provides groundwater to approximately 35,000 acres for irrigation of agricultural lands.
The water will be conveyed through existing facilities from San Luis Reservoir through the San Luis Canal and Coalinga Canal, and then to local conveyance facilities.
The water will be used for irrigation purposes in-lieu of pumped groundwater.
The proposed action is consistent with the SJRRP’s Water Management Goal, to reduce or avoid water supply impacts to Friant Division long-term contractors, by providing an additional mechanism to recirculate, reuse, exchange or transfer recaptured Restoration Flows.
If you encounter problems accessing the document online, please contact the Public Affairs Office at 916-978-5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or mppublicaffairs@usbr.gov.
More information on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program is available at www.restoresjr.net.
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Just five percent of the United States is experiencing drought conditions, the lowest level of drought the country has experienced since government scientific agencies began updating the U.S. Drought Monitor on a weekly basis in 2000.
Record rain and snowfall over the winter on the West Coast and heavy spring rains in the Midwest have alleviated some of the worst and longest-lasting drought conditions ever recorded.
That parching, years-long drought came after another rainy period, in 2010, when just eight percent of the U.S. experienced drought conditions.
The boom-and-bust cycle is likely caused by climate change that creates more extreme weather patterns, scientists say.
Today, small parts of Southern Georgia and Central Florida are still experiencing extreme drought.
As recently as September, the entire state was experiencing at least some drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, and 43 percent of the state experienced extreme drought.
"California’s drought was alleviated by atmospheric rivers that brought heavy rains earlier this year," Matthew Rodell, a NASA hydrologist, said in a statement.
Now, California faces the opposite problem.
Heavy rain and snowfall has damaged systems meant to capture water, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Water officials are worried that heavy rains could damage other dams in Northern California, too.

Sullivan threw 72 pitches over five innings and struck out four before giving way to Morse, who pitched the final two innings with help from a defense behind him which made several extra-effort plays to preserve the no-hitter.
“It’s been a long time, it’s just a great feeling for me and my team, and I really think we deserved it.” Only two Hubs reached base.
Otherwise, the Hubs struck out five times, grounded out nine times, and popped out seven times.
Elias Edmondson made a pair of close plays at second base during the sixth inning, catching a short bloop at the edge of the grass, and throwing out the next Hub after bobbling a ground ball.
The next hitter, Kyle Seebach, hit a pop-up to Jake Alston in right field.
Willman and Trey Morse each had two hits.
That realization made him try to place his pitches lower in the strike zone, and his last two strikeouts came without a swing.
Nolan did a great job with that, and I thought we did a great job offensively after the first time through.” Sterling can clinch the division outright with a win Monday at LaSalle-Peru.
If Sterling loses Monday, and Ottawa can defeat Geneseo on Tuesday, the Golden Warriors can also clinch outright – otherwise, Geneseo can clinch a share of the title with a win over the Pirates.
Baseball Sterling 6, Rochelle 0 Star of the game: Nolan Sullivan, Sterling, win, 5 IP, 0 hits, 4 K’s, 2 RBIs Key performers: Trey Morse, Sterling, 2-for-4, 2 IP, 0 hits; Tyler Willman, Sterling, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs Up next: LaSalle-Peru Tournament, Sterling vs. Streator, 4:30 today; Saturday TBD

As goats grazed on pieces of spinach and cows languished under the shade of trees, Maryan Hudun surveyed her farm contentedly.
Despite drought ravaging much of east Africa, her little corner of Somaliland is still bearing fruit, thanks to the support of the charity ActionAid.
Ms Hudun owns a small farm in Ceel-Giniseed, a village about an hour’s drive west of the Somaliland capital Hargeisa, running it on her own since her husband died in 2010.
Labourers till the fields ready for crops, and there is plenty already growing – spinach, peppers, onions, water melons and cabbages, as well as groves of oranges, lemons and limes.
Three years of drought has left the fields less fertile, and the yields from her land have fallen dramatically.
But irrigation from a shallow well means Ms Hudun can still make a living, selling her produce in local towns and villages so she can pay her staff and send her children to school.
But ActionAid stepped in, building a sand dam to protect the water levels, shoring up the riverbank with a stone embankment and repairing her damaged well.
Speaking through a translator, Ms Hudun said: ‘ActionAid regularly supported me and improved my farm.
Ahmed Mohamoud, who works for ActionAid, said: ‘These people are less affected by the drought because of projects which have been implemented here that increases or improves their livelihood.
‘Even in the drought, some of them are still farming their farms as they have shallow wells.

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – As mosquito eggs start to hatch, Buddy Logue’s business starts to buzz.
He’s been making house calls all over Lee County to help control the pesky bugs and easing some Zika concerns for mothers like Nancy Spencer.
"For the safety of my children, and my guests, and some of the pregnant moms that will be here too."
Because of the drought, this mosquito season could be a busy one.
"Has increased the area for them to lay eggs and put them," said Shelly Redovan with Lee County Mosquito Control.
Mosquito eggs can survive in dry conditions for up to eight months.
When it rains or water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week.
"Now would be a good time to go ahead and clean those gutters out."
It’s also a good time to empty out any standing water, something Logue finds around many homes he visits.
Lee County Mosquito Control has gone through extra training this year for Zika.

Drought in Massachusetts has ended.
Alan Dunham, a meteorologist in the Taunton office of the National Weather Service, said the chances are promising for more rain as May continues, and longer-term forecasts suggest that rainfall levels will remain around normal through July.
get ready for the spring and summer.” Vandana Rao, acting state director of water policy, encouraged residents to continue to conserve water.
“We just want to be more cautious and careful, especially because we had such a significant drought this time around,” Rao said.
Though the state has lifted the drought advisory, which had covered all but the westernmost part of the state and called for increased government monitoring, dozens of communities still have water use restrictions in place.
“Many people are more sensitive now to the needs of some plants, and we have clients that specifically ask for more drought tolerant gardens,” said O’Brien, who added that concern about watering appeared higher in communities that instituted restrictions.
He’s seen interest in new designs increase with the rainfall.
Farmers said they are optimistic that this season will be better than last year.
Not only did the region avoid the damaging cold snap that damaged the fruit tree crop early in 2016, but the season has begun with much wetter soil At Indian Head Farm in Berlin, Tim Wheeler had decided by mid-May last year that the dry weather would cost him his corn crop.
This year, he’s optimistic about his water supply.

Egypt sends food, medical aid to drought-hit Somalia.
The Egyptian Army has transported a cargo-plane filled with food and medical aid to Somalia in an effort to support the drought-stricken country from starvation.
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi directed the delivery of aid which was facilitated by the army, state news agency MENA reported.
The amount of food and medical aid sent to the Somalia has not been disclosed.
The spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces, Colonel Tamer Mahmoud El-Refaay posted on his Facebook page a video of the food and medical aid loaded onto a C-130 military cargo plane.
The drought in Somalia has decimated harvests and livestock in the war-torn country, posing the threat of renewed famine six years after a similar crisis in which 260,000 people died in 2011.
Around 6.2 million Somalis, around half the population, need aid after the drought withered crops, killed livestock and dried up waterholes in East Africa.
Authorities say the cities of Baidoa and Kismayu have been the hardest hit, where more than 700,000 drought victims come from.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Thousands are also fleeing to neighboring Ethiopia, where drought is also causing immense hardship, with more than 100,000 people displaced since the start of the year.