We will be presenting at the 2017 Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA) conference at Georgia State University, at 9:00am on March 15, 2017. Please come hear more about the game and project with our paper below!
Sailing with the Gods: Argonauts and Samothracians in an Ancient Sea–Robert C Bryant, Sandra Blakely, Joanna Mundy, Cole Furrh
The goal of the Samothracian sailing simulation is to recreate the ancient social networks of Greece through the lens of the maritime infrastructure as a video game. How did maritime trade affect the societies of the Mediterranean and their interaction? By reconstructing the physical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean in the Unity3D game engine, we can study the behavioral patterns and decision making of contemporary human beings as players when placed under the same stressors and variables as their ancient Greek mariner counterparts. With this data we hope to bolster the existing social network analysis of the area with quantitative human behavior. This data is gleaned by tracking all player interactions of sailing and trading through the simulated environment to search for patterns that help explain ancient analogs. The game also serves as a ludic and pedagogical experience for the players through attached myth and literature that act as the narrative for the world. Currently, we have a working and very functional prototype already tested in a classroom of 60+ students. By the time of this conference, the prototype will be finished with plans for expansion.
