Paper Title: Controller of the Narrative: Archaeology, Community Engagement, and Cultural Patrimony within The Elder Scrolls Online

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Making Waves through Play: A Historical Archaeological Examination of Archaeogaming and the Global Impact of Video Games on the Field of Archaeology", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Historical archaeology acknowledges the crucial nature stakeholder engagement and community-driven archaeological projects. Ethical, well-considered archaeology draws on narratives of the past that are co-produced, rather than relying on a singular, authoritative perspective. Public archaeology can further showcase the strength of such partnerships across varied knowledge-holding groups. Public engagement also aids in setting forth examples of respectful, engaged scholarly examinations for a wider audience, in order to demonstrate a decided move away from archaeology’s colonial past.

However, perceptions about archaeology exist in the minds of far more people than can attend public archaeological workshops or site tours, often as a result of popular culture and media consumption. Played by over 3 billion individuals globally, video games are incredibly influential. This paper examines the way that The Elder Scrolls Online, taken as a case study, presents its players with a nuanced and ethically-informed approach to cultural patrimony, stakeholder interaction, and community engagement.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Making Waves through Play: A Historical Archaeological Examination of Archaeogaming and the Global Impact of Video Games on the Field of Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow