Tag: Video Games
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Selfies with the Dead: ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ and the Dehumanisation of Human Remains
Content Warning: Discussion of human remains in this blog post. No actual images of human remains are used, however there are images of digital human remains from the Shadow of the Tomb Raider video game, so please be advised. Recently, the third instalment of the rebooted Tomb Raider video game franchise was released. This game,
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An Archaeology of Sudden Death: A Fallout Case Study
Content Warning: This post will discuss human remains and death from disasters and acts of mass violence. Although I will not be posting any actual images of real human remains, I will be using images of human remains from the video game Fallout 4. There may also be discussion of disasters and violence that may
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Side Quest: Archaeology!
Inaccurate portrayals of archaeology in other media has been discussed before – whether it’s fact checking the Indiana Jones franchise, reiterating that Lara Croft is indeed a Tomb Raider, or correcting someone for the 100th time that no, sorry, we don’t dig up dinosaurs…it can be exhausting! But unfortunately, it will always be necessary so
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Preserving Play: Video Games as Digital Artefacts and the Status of Games Preservation
Archaeology and video games have been a hot topic in the past few years – not only is it a growing sub-discipline of its own (for more information, check out archaeogaming.com or the new Archaeogaming book that has come out of that website), but we also seem to talk about video games and archaeology a
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Studies in Skyrim: Lessons in Typologies, from Dwarven Fortresses to Nord Ruins (Part I)
Today’s blog post is actually the first of a two-parter – there’s just too much to talk about in one post! The second part of this post will be published sometime next week…until then, enjoy reading about how (thanks again to YouTuber Camelworks for inspiring this post with his own Skyrim-based series, Curating Curious Curiosities). At
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The Bog Unicorn: The Power of Preservation in Dragon Age (and in Real Life!)
Content Warning: Some images of preserved human remains are below. In the 2014 video game Dragon Age: Inquisition, you play as the Inquisitor who heads the latest Inquisition against an army of demons and heretics. As the leader of such a massive organisation, your character is able to get supplies and aid from all corners
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Werewolf? Therewolf! Lycanthropy in Skyrim (and Real Life!)
Content Warning: Photo of human remains included in this post. “Legends can take a life of their own, particularly when there are grains of truth, as here we have the very real threat of werewolves” – Lycanthropic Legends of Skyrim, Lentulus Invenitus In the world of Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios 2011), werewolves (and other lyncanthropes
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Written in Stone: Standing Stones in Skyrim (and in Real Life!)
In Skyrim, one of the first game mechanics you’re introduced to after the initial tutorial quest is the Standing Stone. By using a Standing Stone, the player character gains bonuses to certain traits and/or extra abilities. However, a player character can only receive one “blessing” at a time – if another Standing Stone is chosen,
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Reinventing the “King” in Fallout: New Vegas
Recreating the past is a common thread in Fallout: New Vegas (Obsidian Entertainment 2008) – previously on the blog, we took a look at how the Legion, the main antagonistic force of the game, based their entire structure and aesthetics on the Roman Empire. This is the case of many of the Factions (or “tribes”, as
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On the Chopping Block: Decapitation in Archaeology
Content Warning: Photo of human remains included in this post. In Skyrim (Bioware 2011), capital punishment usually consists of a swift beheading – this is seen in the game’s opening, where you watch as a Stormcloak, deemed to be traitorous to the Empire, is beheaded by the Imperial army’s executioner. You luckily manage to escape
Animal Archaeology 