PhDebates - Virtual Archaeology: A Toy or a Tool? Part 2 - VALUE project

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VALUE

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Published on May 7, 2015 9:27:33 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtyjbsK1cYc

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Vlog

Duration: 32:03

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Despite modern society being increasingly digital and computers being less the domain of tech-geeks than they were 20 years ago, archaeologists are still often using digital technology in limited ways.
This is frustrating for the 'digital archaeologists', who believe that they have much to offer, not only in assisting with low-level methodological problems, but in furthering theoretical thought. Virtual Archaeology, a term coined in the early '90s, was to play a central role in advancing this cause, but has to the dismay of many primarily been 'abused' to visualize spectacular 'monuments of the past' for larger audiences.
In this PhDebates session we will tackle the issue of Virtual Archaeology. Participants are asked to evaluate the role of VA (or lack thereof) in their own research and we ask whether archaeologists should be bothered with VA at all. Do techniques such as visualization, game play, simulation, and modelling contribute to a better understanding of the past and can they stimulate novel insights or even new modes of thinking in archaeology? Or are they merely new and improved ways of presenting our data? In other words, is Virtual Archaeology a toy or tool?

Tijm Lanjouw will give the main talk on the history and current state of affairs of Virtual Archaeology. Fulco Scherjon will present on the modelling and simulation of hominin behaviour. Members of the new research group VALUE will talk about the link between archaeology and video games.