Although population history and dispersal are back at the forefront of the archaeological agenda, they are often studied in relative isolation. This contribution aims at combining both dimensions, as population dispersal is, by definition, a demographic process. Using a case study drawn from the Early Neolithic of South-Eastern Europe, we use radiocarbon dates to jointly investigate changes in speed and population size linked to the new food production economy and demonstrate that the spread of farming in this region corresponds to a density-dependent dispersal process. The implications of this characterization are evaluated in the discussion.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cross-disciplinary approaches to prehistoric demography’.

尽管人口历史和传播重新回到考古议程的最前沿，但它们经常被相对孤立地研究。这一贡献旨在结合这两个维度，因为根据定义，人口分散是一个人口过程。使用来自东南欧新石器时代早期的案例研究，我们使用放射性碳年代来联合调查与新的粮食生产经济相关的速度和人口规模的变化，并证明该地区农业的传播与密度-依赖扩散过程。在讨论中评估了这种表征的含义。

本文是主题问题“史前人口学的跨学科方法”的一部分。