![]() These map locations also provide the player with a set of questions which may arise. From this context, several layers of information can be extracted. On the map, the player can determine where the artifact is in terms of its relation to the cities and ruins. The map serves similar purposes to GIS for “real world” archaeology. Not only does this provide context for the artifact on the “ancient” landscape but also it provides context for the location on Aloy’s landscape. The player knows the general location of the artifact on the landscape. The maps which allow the player to find the collectable artifacts overlays provides an interesting understanding of the “ancient” world, especially when considering archaeology. Keys like our modern key sets are apparently not part of the Horizon Zero Dawn world and therefore they cannot interpret the artifact outside of their own cultural knowledge, providing the description by the Aloy, and the Nora for that matter, as a set of ancient chimes.Īncient chimes in the player’s inventory. This one is more notably consistent with the post-modern critique that interpretation of artifacts cannot be separated from ones own culture. The description also offers the provenance in the “sources” category and the potential uses that the item has for Aloy, and subsequently the player.Ī similar description and interpretation of the keys is offered to the player through Aloy’s inventory. This can be drawn from the fact that the item is a common item as stated literally in the text and that it can be sold for a fair amount of currency to all merchants. The description suggests that analogue wrist watches are a commonly found artifact in Aloy’s world which has some sort of value to the economic functions of the gatherer-hunter communities. The description offered more information about the item in terms of Aloy’s world. Screenshot by Kaitlyn Kingsland.įor example, the analogue wrist watch is known to Aloy as an “Ancient Black Bracelet” in which the name presents the Nora’s cultural understanding of a common item for people of today. The resources inventory screen showing the image and interpretation of an analogue wrist watch. There is the added benefit from the description and “used for” category to allow the player to interpret what the artifact is considered to be in terms of uses and value that the artifacts hold for Aloy’s world. This representation of these artifacts holds the archaeological elements of provenance in telling the player where they commonly find these artifacts. These items have interpretations in the name and description but the inclusion of images of the item allows the player to understand what the item is in terms of our world. Specifically, the presence of analogue and digital wrist watches and keys stand out from the rest of the resources. Other items which can be picked up through various means are items which are known to us presently but to a future humans with no understanding of our world, the interpretation of items is present. These items can be as simple as bits of plant and bundles of wood. For example, in the resources inventory there are simple items which the player collects and can use to craft necessary items, like arrows. In the inventory, players can view a small image of the item with a description of the item. Returning to the premise of teaching archaeological thinking subtly, Horizon Zero Dawn incorporates material culture from our near future which the player discovers. Specifically, in how the placement of artifact assemblages is similar to that of real-life assemblages as found in archaeological excavations as well as the contexts in which artifacts can be found. For more on how I am currently approaching the Archaeogaming of Horizon Zero Dawn and the background on the game, see the post from 28 June 2019.įor this post, I want to focus on the artifact assemblages present in Horizon Zero Dawn. ![]() As discussed in the previous Horizon Zero Dawn Post, archaeology in Horizon Zero Dawn is an unspoken theme which exists in the game’s landscape and collectables.
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