Hacking the Big Smoke – Alternate Reality and London’s Archaeology will investigate the use of Alternate-Reality Games (ARGs) to engage in archaeological storytelling, using the materials and expertise at Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA). An ARG uses the real world as a platform for digitally-augmented, participatory storytelling that can be altered by the people playing the game. ARGs are uniquely suited to interacting with archaeological data: they are immersive, location-aware, collectively played, and often explore real-world scenarios. This description of an ARG immediately evokes the immersion described by long-time archaeologists navigating London; they can “see” the previous excavations, trace stories through patterns of bricks in walls, envision layers of Victorian terraced houses and Roman villas beneath the glass and steel skyline. Archaeology, after all, is immersive, location-aware, and collectively played. Despite previous research within education and user experience design, ARGs have remained unexplored within archaeology, even though there is clear resonance with citizen science and contemporary exploration of archaeological landscapes. Could a serious ARG based around the city of London, its historic fabric and the archaeological objects found within it, enhance our knowledge of the history of London, produce more data (for instance photographic surveys of buildings) and allow Londoners and visitors to engage more deeply with their historic environment? The successful candidate will work with MOLA to create a unique multimedia public engagement experience, showcasing MOLA’s extensive knowledge and collections, as well as involving new and different audiences with an innovative form of citizen science.
Plus d’informations :
[Website University of York]