From Data to Meaning: Reframing Mediterranean and Northern European Computational Archaeology in a Post-Algorithmic Age

While computational archaeology has seen widespread adoption across regional and methodological contexts, its epistemological core remains unevenly developed. This paper reconceptualizes the comparative study of Mediterranean and Northern European computational archaeology by integrating three underrepresented dimensions: (1) post-algorithmic critique in digital humanities, (2) ethical reflexivity in AI-driven archaeology, and (3) integration of temporal modeling and uncertainty quantification. Through the reassessment of models such as the Habitation Model Trend Calculation (MTC) and advanced neural network applications in Scandinavian submerged landscapes, we advocate a paradigm shift from technical performance to knowledge generation. Case studies are used to explore how computation serves not only archaeological prediction but also theory formation, historical contingency modeling, and ethical mapping of cultural heritage futures.