The Consell Insular de Menorca is sponsoring Archaeologist, a cutting-edge educational computer game which takes Social Science study to another level through gameplay, both within and outside the classroom. Talayotic Menorca is one of the eight game settings, providing an insight into different aspects of prehistoric humanity and Menorca's Talayotic culture. This morning, 19 July, vice-president and conseller of Cultural Affairs, Miquel Àngel Maria, presented the project at the headquarters of the Consell Insular de Menorca (CIM), accompanied by the CEO of Archaeologist, Andreu Florit, and the archaeologist Borja Corral.
The company REM Experience has made this videogame intended for all secondary school students a reality with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and the CIM which, through its Department of Cultural Affairs, made a contribution of €4,840. Educational video games provide an immersive and motivating approach to various subjects, allowing students to expand their knowledge any time and anywhere they wish, without limitation, as well as learning through trial and error, memorising the concepts better through an enriching experience.
Mr Maria stated that the Department of Cultural Affairs is keeping a very close eye on the creation and development of educational resources helping to explain and appreciate archaeological heritage, and in particular Talayotic Menorca. “This game is a privileged tool because it combines the fun and adventurous aspect of a digital game with scientific and technical principles which mean that the players will not only enjoy themselves, but also learn as they play. I am full of praise for Andreu Florit and all his team for this initiative, and of course wish them every success with our younger population," the conseller added.
"The game puts you in the shoes of a real archaeologist who has to dig at different sites and analyse the findings in a laboratory to learn and understand different aspects of history and ancient civilisations through gamification," Mr Florit explains.
Talayotic inspiration
Archaeologist is what is known as a serious game available in Catalan, Spanish and English, in which the
players take on the role of an archaeologist and also acquire new knowledge about history, culture, science and language as they play. The videogame is divided into eight settings located in five different countries, giving players an insight into different historical periods. Among them, it highlights "The enigma of the Talayotic settlement" based on the
Cartailhac Circle of Torre d'en Galmés, where users discover how our prehistoric ancestors lived, what their houses were like and the activities they undertook.
In accordance with archaeological methodology, users begin the game by excavating a site, a section in which the players learn the importance of marking out the dig site and documenting the materials, both the layers of terrain and the archaeological remains that they find while digging. They then enter the scientific laboratory, where they can classify and date the object they have found.
Archaeologist offers four laboratories for this purpose: Archaeofauna, Physical Anthropology, Ceramics and Numismatics.
Renowned archaeologists
Over the course of each adventure, a renowned archaeologist accompanies users, giving them the data they need to understand and develop archaeological methodology and discover key historical aspects. These key figures include Menorca's
Joan Ramis i Ramis, author of the first treatise on the Archaeology of Spain; and British archaeologist Margaret Murray, the pioneer of the scientific study of Talayotic culture. The players discover in the end what the site they have excavated was like when it was inhabited, and read the final report summarising all the historical information they have compiled thanks to their archaeological work.
Archaeologist forms part of a versatile educational platform suitable both for individual users and for teachers to deploy as a classroom activity:
www.archaeologistgame.com. The game is entirely made up of 3D graphics, rendered with PVR technology. The graphics are designed to imitate reality, with realistic textures and forms, and with the detail needed to ensure optimal game performance.
Watch the full press conference
here.