City Beneath Ashes: Research-based Educational Game

Project Type: Educational Interactive Project

Position: Solo-Project

Target Audience:

The target audience for this game includes users who are interested in Pompeian civilization, architectural archaeology, and history. It aims to present research findings to them in an interactive and structured way using authentic case information， rather than presenting them the research paper that is less adovacative to understand.

Introduction:

This is a research-based 2D educational interactive project in which players take on a perspective close to that of an archaeologist. They will uncover various authentic clues in several residential case studies and use this information to draw their own conclusions about the connection between the characteristics of the houses and the social identities of their owners. Through this approach, players gain insights into the research content and are encouraged to develop an interest in this topic.

Demo Video :

Research Overview

Research Methods

Research Outcomes

Literature Review

Primary Research

Categorized Social Identities

Statistical Summary

Case Studies

Statistic Validations

Proposed Household Characters

Case Aggregation

Mapping

Finding Evidence

Distribution Among Pompeii

The volcanic eruption of AD 79 preserved the ancient city of Pompeii in an extraordinarily intact state, leaving archaeologists with a wealth of archaeological evidence that offers an insight into the lives of its citizens. However, approximately 17 years prior to this catastrophic event, the city had been through a significant earthquake in AD 62. The earthquake left traces on the Pompeian cityscape that can still be uncovered through archaeological excavations. This study focuses on the excavated gardens of Pompeii, to explore how the social identities of different groups were reflected in the domestic culture.

The research addresses a series of interconnected questions, starting with an exploration of the ways in which household spaces were modified during the post-earthquake reconstruction. By employing a literature review, the study identifies preliminary patterns and hypotheses. A comprehensive dataset of all excavated garden spaces in Pompeii is then gathered as material for case studies. Representative cases are analyzed in detail, while statistical methods are applied to examine trends and variations across the broader data set. Mapping techniques are applied to explore the spatial distribution of these houses, bring suggestions on the unique features of different areas within the city.

This multi-method approach allows the study to identify potential connection between the architectural and decorative choices made in domestic spaces and the social status of their owners. The layout and ornamentation of gardens and courtyards may reveal the priorities, resources, and values of various social groups. While economic considerations were an essential factor in rebuilding decisions, the research also pay attention to how these considerations intersected with cultural and social identity. Ultimately, the research aims to propose a framework for using household characteristics as signs suggestting social stratification in Pompeii. Selected findings will be further presented through an interactive Unity project, allowing users to visualize and engage with the reconstructed data in a dynamic way.

Reference

Link to the Paper

List of Books:

Beard, Mary. Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town. Profile Books, 2008.
Zanker, Paul. Pompeii: Public and Private Life. Harvard University Press, 1998.
Hemelrijk, Emily A. Matrona Docta: Educated Women in the Roman Élite from Cornelia to Julia Domna. Routledge, 1999.
Harper, Kyle. Slavery in the Late Roman World, AD 275–425. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Wallace-Hadrill, Andrew. Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum. Princeton University Press, 1994.
Dobbins, John J., and Pedar W. Foss, editors. The World of Pompeii. Routledge, 2007.
Laurence, Ray. Roman Pompeii: Space and Society. Routledge, 1994.

List of Websites:

1.https://roman-gardens.github.io/province/italia/pompeii/

2.https://pompeiisites.org/en/regiones/regio-i/

3.https://pompeiiinpictures.com

Why this Game?

1. The game project can visualize the content and findings of the research, making the conclusions more digestible and easier to communicate.

2. It enhances the appeal of the research content, attracting a broader audience and enabling research-related information to be absorbed more efficiently through the Unity project as a medium.

3. The project establishes a systematic information framework, providing the potential to incorporate more data and introduce additional research methods as studies progress in the future.

4. While some existing websites about Pompeii’s archaeological houses indicate their locations and distribution, they often emphasize information with a specific purpose. These websites typically highlight archaeological details related to precious artifacts, aristocratic lifestyles, or similar themes to serve commercial or tourism objectives, preventing audiences from gaining a more objective and comprehensive understanding of Pompeii’s houses. This project aspires to make it possible to gain such an impartial and thorough perspective on the ancient city of Pompeii.

Game's Core Experience & Functions

Case Locating

1. Clarify the structure of the city and the hierarchical progression within it.

2. Convey to players that housing cases do not exist in isolation. Use the Locating process to clearly differentiate their positional relationships and characteristics, making it easier to summarize patterns when mapping accumulated cases in the future.

This gameplay process abstractly simulates the state of an archaeologist encountering a new site, exposing players to fragmented information and avoiding interference in guiding their thought process.
The clues themselves are a collection of information that is both common and diverse, such as details about discovered remains, specific cases like slave shackles, and murals or sculptures of different themes. These fragmented pieces of information guide players toward forming conclusions, making the exploration process fresh and engaging.

Evidence Discovering

Questions & Explanations

Use questions to guide players to think in a specific direction.
The answers are not strictly focused on correctness but prioritize eliminating incorrect options, avoiding baseless judgments, and emphasizing the rigor required in the research process to players.
The explanations provided after answering introduce basic research theories during the demonstration phase, while in the subsequent exploration phase, post-answer explanations continue to supplement additional aspects of the research.

Why these Cases?

Why Region VIII?

All cases are located in Region VIII, where clear multi-level floor plans can be found. This facilitates the explanation of the hierarchical structure of the city and allows for a comparative analysis of the size and structural relationships between different houses.

The cases exhibit distinct and clear class characteristics.
The archaeological sites within the cases contain diverse findings that support various research topics, such as evidence of foreign cultural exchange, social class indicators, and cultural or religious beliefs.

Why These Cases?

Why Sample Cases?

Demonstrate the thinking methods required for the gameplay process.
In this stage, basic research theories are quickly introduced through Q&A, such as the idea that houses with spaces beyond essential functional areas—especially religious spaces like the sacrarium—are more likely to belong to higher social classes. Similarly, the use of features like peristyles can serve as an indicator of social status.

VIII.VII.XII: The most representative basic case, illustrating the common layout of a "shop in the front, residence in the back" structure and the typical features of lower-class civilian housing during the Pompeii period.
VIII.II.III: The most representative case of a well-off family, featuring mosaic decorations, an atrium with a water reservoir, a peristyle garden, and non-essential functional spaces such as a sacrarium.
The commonality between these two cases lies in the clarity and straightforwardness of the clue information, ensuring that the reasoning process remains relatively simple and easy to understand.

Standards of Sample Cases?

User Feedback

The game lacks an introductory section, making it difficult to quickly grasp the theme after starting.

The case information and analytical perspectives provided in the game are very interesting.

It would be great to see the perspective of the restored ruins.

The game's interface feels somewhat rough and could use further refinement.

Answering these questions feels a bit like being in a classroom.

There is a significant difference between the cases, which is quite fascinating.

Future Work

Enriching Research Content

Include case information from districts beyond Region VIII and summarize the characteristics of cases in each district.

Utilize master planning to observe the distribution patterns of people from different social classes and analyze their relationship with key locations within the city.

Enhancing Entertainment Experience

Create 3D models for cases with clear data.

Improve and refine the UI system for better aesthetics.

Introduce features such as a collection achievement system as a reward mechanism.