A board-game on Minoan Crete

Anna Margherita JASINK | Cristiana BARANDONI | Isabella VALINOTI
(University of Florence, Florence, Italy)

Keywords: Virtual museum, games, education

Abstract:
MUSINT and MUSINT II are part of a long-term project on Aegean and Cypriot collections from Italian Museums. MUSINT contains findings from the Archaeological Museum of Florence and other institutions in Tuscany. MUSINT II concerns the sealings from Haghia Triada (Crete) stored in the Museum of Florence and in the “Luigi Pigorini” National Museum in Rome. One of the main aims of the project is to reach a wider public: in MUSINT a small section was devoted to children and MUSINT II has been recently implemented with a special section entirely dedicated to games.
This essay focuses on the use of games preeminently inside -but also outside- classrooms as a new kind of educational resource. It turns out that games can be a valuable method in teaching Aegean archaeology. Different kinds of games (printed or digital) allow virtual visitors to get more deeply engaged and satisfied. At the same time the general needs of a better fruition of Aegean archaeological heritage will be achieved.
Although games can be found in many websites, so far they have never been concerned with Aegean archaeology. Indeed, this is a difficult and peculiar subject which needs specific games objectives. MUSINT may be the ideal platform to start with promoting the culture of games based activities in this educational sector.
This contribution will focus on how dedicated board games can maximize the positive perception of archaeology. On the basis of the materials and games of MUSINT II, we  are working to the creation of board games on Cnossos and Crete. Crete will be transformed into a platform where, acting and surveying, exploring and playing with archaeological sites, a new relationship between ancient findings and modern engagement is established.

Relevance conference / Relevance session:
The use of new methodologies in the teaching of archaeology

Innovation:
A board game in Aegean archaeology

References:

  1. MUSINT 2.Nuove esperienze di ricerca e didattica nella museologia interattiva (A.M.Jasink e G.Dionisio eds)Firenze University Press, Firenze 2016
  2. M. Jasink, G. Dionisio “Teaching new technological methodologies applied to ancient history: the profitable example of the  Municipal  Archaeological Museum and the Primary School of Montelupo Fiorentino, Italy” in CHNT 20, Wien 2015