Presentation slides of the paper Towards Collaborative Archaeogame Design and Development: Iteration, Innovation and the Southern Je, presented at Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology International Conference. Amsterdam 3 - 6 April 2023.

Hiriart, Juan; Ulguim; F., Priscilla; Rékág Fernandes, Florencio; Parellada, Claudia; Salles Machado, Juliana; Copé, Silvia; Silva, Fabíola

Abstract

Paper Submitted to: CAA2023, S35. Indigenous Knowledge and Digital Archaeology: potential, problems and prospects

Games and digital technologies are increasingly part of archaeological investigation and interpretation. As built environments, games provide the means to immerse players in synthetic worlds constructed with a painstaking level of detail. As a form of narrative engagement, games affectively connect audiences with diverse pasts. In this light, archaeogaming attempts to combine archaeological data in order to create versions of the past to engage the player and communicate research through non-traditional methods.

However, relevant communities, designers, and archaeologists face challenges in balancing nuanced worldviews with different strands of research and game design. Among the challenges which designers face are how to ethically engage with communities to co-create narratives, interpret gaps in the archaeological record, and balance meaningful educational elements. In addition, attempts to simply apply information from academic works risk overlooking the interactive nature of the medium. Instead, games may be augmented with drawings, video, audio, AR, VR, and supporting materials to provide information via multiple methods and platforms.

In this paper, we propose that designers should work with stakeholders using participatory methods and prototyping techniques, fomenting the development of skills and knowledge to allow groups to independently iterate and innovate indigenous gaming experiences.

Our project combines archaeological and ethnographic data associated with the lifeways of Southern Jê groups over the past millennium in a collaborative archaeogaming approach that intends to communicate past lifeways and create practical ethical frameworks for future game development while building on synergies between indigenous and non-indigenous knowledge.

We highlight challenges in designing an experience that critically evaluates academic research, supporting education while being mindful and ethical towards traditional cultures and multiple levels of their representation within games.

Keywords: Collaborative Archaeogaming; Southern Jê; Brazilian Archaeology; Digital Ethics; Indigenous Knowledge.

• Digital Artefact Type: Other
• Online Publication Date: May 29, 2025
• Publication Date: May 29, 2025
• Deposit Date: May 29, 2025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17866/rd.salford.28846955.v1