Published by MIP, The University Press @ Kalamazoo by Elke Rogersdotter
by Erika Gaffney, Allison Levy, Serina Patterson, Nhora Serrano, Jessen Kelly, Emily Winerock, Jessica Otis, Antonella FENECH, Sergius Kodera, Elke Rogersdotter, Patrick J O'Banion, Bret Rothstein, Alessandro Arcangeli, and Christina Normore An innovative volume of fifteen interdisciplinary essays at the nexus of material culture, perfor... more An innovative volume of fifteen interdisciplinary essays at the nexus of material culture, performance studies, and game theory, Playthings in Early Modernity emphasizes the rules of the game(s) as well as the breaking of those rules. Thus, the titular "plaything" is understood as both an object and a person, and play, in the early modern world, is treated not merely as a pastime, a leisurely pursuit, but as a pivotal part of daily life, a strategic psychosocial endeavor.
The collection is the inaugural volume in the book series Ludic Cultures, 1100-1700. More information about the series can be found at https://mip-archumanitiespress.org/series/mip/ludic-cultures/.
Books by Elke Rogersdotter
Why do we play games—with and upon each other as well as ourselves? When are winners also losers,... more Why do we play games—with and upon each other as well as ourselves? When are winners also losers, and vice-versa? How and to what end do we stretch the spaces of play? What happens when players go ‘out of bounds,’ or when games go ‘too far’? Moreover, what happens when we push the parameters of inquiry: when we play with traditional narratives of ludic culture, when we re-write the rules?
An innovative volume of fifteen interdisciplinary essays at the nexus of material culture, performance studies, and game theory, Playthings in Early Modernity emphasizes the rules of the game(s) as well as the breaking of those rules. Thus, the titular ‘plaything’ is understood as both an object and a person, and play, in the early modern world, is treated not merely as a pastime, a leisurely pursuit, but as a pivotal part of daily life, a strategic psychosocial endeavor.
FOR PRIVATE AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY
In traditional archaeology, traces of play and gaming have commonly been dismissed as less signif... more In traditional archaeology, traces of play and gaming have commonly been dismissed as less significant. Such remains are recurrently seen as traces of idle pastime, which is to say, they are viewed upon as something 'non-serious'. Traces of play can sometimes also be explained in terms of social rituals, such as associated with social status. The remains can in this way be said to be made serious; be provided a role within that ancient societal structure that is in focus. What happens in this case, however, is that the 'fun' dimension is lost. This study examines game-related finds with the aim of reaching and discussing the social influence of the dimension of play in an ancient settlement. The finds originate from the Bronze Age Indus Valley settlement of Mohenjo-daro in Sindh, southern Pakistan. They are studied through a critical reading of older, published and unpublished, excavational documents. Based on selected results of this analysis, the study makes use of both established and new terminology in order to illuminate different aspects or spectra of play. In this reasoning, the division between form and content maintained by Simmel, as well as the emphasis by Bateson on autonomously working systems, emerge as central concepts. The study takes on a twofold structure in that the aim of reaching play at the same time offers a test of the scientific linguistic usage. The character of testing builds on a modified form of grounded theory, in which a model of work is created in the shape of a grid. It is argued that this way of work has the potential to yield alternative, more socially embedded insights into the settlement.
This thesis proposes an alternative perspective to the general neglect of toy materials from deep... more This thesis proposes an alternative perspective to the general neglect of toy materials from deeper analysis in archaeology. Based on a study of selected toy artefacts from the Classical Harappan settlement at Bagasra, Gujarat, it suggests a viable way of approaching the objects when considering them within a theoretical framework highlighting their social aspects. The study agrees with objections in e.g. parts of gender archaeology and research on children in archaeology to the extrapolating from the marginalized child of the West onto past social structures. Departing from revised toy definitions formulated in disciplines outside archaeology, it proceeds with the objects’ toy identifications while rejecting a ‘transforming’ of these into other interpretations. Thus entering a quite unexplored research field, grounded theory is used as working method. As the items indicate a regulated pattern, the opinion on toy artefacts as randomly scattered around becomes questioned. Using among others the capital concept by Bourdieu, the notion of micropower by Foucault and parts of the newly developed ideas of microarchaeology, the toy-role of the artefacts is emphasized as crucial, enabling the items to express diverse social uses in addition to their possible function as children’s (play)things. With this, the notion of the limiting connection of toys to playing children becomes unravelled, opening for a discussion on enlarged dimensions of the toys and a possible re-naming of them as the materialities of next generation. While suggesting the items to indicate various social strategies and structurating practices, the need for traditional boundaries and separated entities successively becomes eliminated. The traditionally stated toy obstacles with cultural loading and elusive distinctions can with this be proposed as constructions, possible to avoid. The toy concept simultaneously emerges as particularly useful in highlighting the notion of change and continuity within the social structure and children’s roles in this.
Papers by Elke Rogersdotter
This paper centers on ancient, generally rather scattered and elusive remains of gameplay. Focusi... more This paper centers on ancient, generally rather scattered and elusive remains of gameplay. Focusing on a discrete assemblage of game-related artefacts from the Bronze Age Indus Valley urban settlement of Mohenjo-daro, it conducts a detailed study of some of the patchy features to see whether more structured elements thereby can be distinguished. The finds are approached situated in a broader, game-related context through a short recapitulation of findings at roughly contemporary sites in Egypt, Western Asia, and Iran. Thereafter is intra-site, spatial features of the finds explored, as well as particularities in appearance. While the playing of games is a rather universal human enterprise, its forms and expressions may likewise be seen as highly sensitive to the specific, social environment and fluctuations. Because of this intra-societal affiliation, identifying patterns of ancient gaming is suggested to contribute both to site-specific inquiries and investigations of interregional...
Rogersdotter, Elke. Gaming in Mohenjo-daro – an Archaeology of Unities. Doctoral Dissertation in ... more Rogersdotter, Elke. Gaming in Mohenjo-daro – an Archaeology of Unities. Doctoral Dissertation in Archaeology, Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg. The main question of this thesis concerns the possibility of illuminating the presence and impact of the irrational element that is play in an ancient societal structure. With this question as a lodestar, the investigation has come to concern the development of an alternative way of work that can manage to embrace the positively loaded, ‘fun’ dimension of play. The view of fragmented archaeological remains as autonomously working unities has been of central importance for this mode of procedure. The study is based on selected game-related finds from the site of Mohenjodaro. Located in Sindh in southern Pakistan, the site constitutes the remains of the largest urban settlement of the Bronze Age Indus Valley realm (ca. 2500-2000 BC). One of the typical features of this realm constitutes a focus on small-sized art. Amo...
This article presents some results that derive from a systematic field documentation and typologi... more This article presents some results that derive from a systematic field documentation and typological and spatial analysis of non-portable engravings of game boards at the site of the pre-modern cit ...
Creationism can be defined as “the belief that the universe and living organisms originate from s... more Creationism can be defined as “the belief that the universe and living organisms originate from specific acts of divine creation, as in the biblical account, rather than by natural processes such a ...
The Materiality of Literary Narratives in Urban History, 2019
This thesis proposes an alternative perspective to the general neglect of toy materials from deep... more This thesis proposes an alternative perspective to the general neglect of toy materials from deeper analysis in archaeology. Based on a study of selected toy artefacts from the Classical Harappan settlement at Bagasra, Gujarat, it suggests a viable way of approaching the objects when considering them within a theoretical framework highlighting their social aspects. The study agrees with objections in e.g. parts of gender archaeology and research on children in archaeology to the extrapolating from the marginalized child of the West onto past social structures. Departing from revised toy definitions formulated in disciplines outside archaeology, it proceeds with the objects’ toy identifications while rejecting a ‘transforming’ of these into other interpretations. Thus entering a quite unexplored research field, grounded theory is used as working method. As the items indicate a regulated pattern, the opinion on toy artefacts as randomly scattered around becomes questioned. Using among...
Ancient remains of game boards have been relatively little researched in archaeology. A common vi... more Ancient remains of game boards have been relatively little researched in archaeology. A common view holds that such finds represent somewhat periphery, less informative artefacts. Another establish ...
Expiry Date Exceeded? A Durability Test of ’Old’ Artefacts, Illustrated with Game Utensils from t... more Expiry Date Exceeded? A Durability Test of ’Old’ Artefacts, Illustrated with Game Utensils from the DK-C Area, Mohenjo-daro
The Materiality of Literary Narratives in Urban History, 2019
Chapter 12
In historical archaeology, material remains were until recently commonly viewed as se... more Chapter 12
In historical archaeology, material remains were until recently commonly viewed as secondary sources, which were used to illustrate and verify written evidence. However, as far as the interpretation and re-establishment of former ancient cities was concerned, such an approach tended to eradicate what Lewis Mumford defined as the dramatic dialogue, one of the typical features characterising cities. With a focus on the premodern city of Vijayanagara in southern India, this chapter therefore intends to let archaeological evidence of material conditions in the city be considered in conjunction with readings of textual records, with the aim of teasing out new interpretations of the history of this particular city by examining this dialogue. The written accounts constitute highly influential sixteenth-century European travel writings on the city. The archaeological material consists of engraved game boards which appear all over the former urban landscape. The dialogue is analysed with concepts from play theory. The results show how a dialectic approach can provide opportunities to rediscover the game places and the travel narratives both in terms of former emergent worlds with imaginative, experiential properties and as the material signatures of a city experienced – a city emerging from, and feeding into, dramatic dialogue.
Ancient Asia, 2006
... of Archaeology, Deccan College in Pune. I am particularly grateful to Prof Kuldeep K. Bhan, D... more ... of Archaeology, Deccan College in Pune. I am particularly grateful to Prof Kuldeep K. Bhan, Dr P. Ajithprasad and Dr K. Krishnan at the Dept. ... Fornstora dagar, moderna tider: bruk av och debatter am svensk historia fran sekelskifte till sekelskifte, Nordic Academic Press, Lund. ...
Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies, 2012
This paper centers on ancient, generally rather scattered and elusive remains of gameplay. Focusi... more This paper centers on ancient, generally rather scattered and elusive remains of gameplay. Focusing on a discrete assemblage of game-related artefacts from the Bronze Age Indus Valley urban settlement of Mohenjo-daro, it conducts a detailed study of some of the patchy features to see whether more structured elements thereby can be distinguished. The finds are approached situated in a broader, game-related context through a short recapitulation of findings at roughly contemporary sites in Egypt, Western Asia, and Iran. Thereafter is intra-site, spatial features of the finds explored, as well as particularities in appearance. While the playing of games is a rather universal human enterprise, its forms and expressions may likewise be seen as highly sensitive to the specific, social environment and fluctuations. Because of this intra-societal affiliation, identifying patterns of ancient gaming is suggested to contribute both to site-specific inquiries and investigations of interregional distinctions and influences.
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Published by MIP, The University Press @ Kalamazoo by Elke Rogersdotter
The collection is the inaugural volume in the book series Ludic Cultures, 1100-1700. More information about the series can be found at https://mip-archumanitiespress.org/series/mip/ludic-cultures/.
Books by Elke Rogersdotter
An innovative volume of fifteen interdisciplinary essays at the nexus of material culture, performance studies, and game theory, Playthings in Early Modernity emphasizes the rules of the game(s) as well as the breaking of those rules. Thus, the titular ‘plaything’ is understood as both an object and a person, and play, in the early modern world, is treated not merely as a pastime, a leisurely pursuit, but as a pivotal part of daily life, a strategic psychosocial endeavor.
FOR PRIVATE AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY
Papers by Elke Rogersdotter
In historical archaeology, material remains were until recently commonly viewed as secondary sources, which were used to illustrate and verify written evidence. However, as far as the interpretation and re-establishment of former ancient cities was concerned, such an approach tended to eradicate what Lewis Mumford defined as the dramatic dialogue, one of the typical features characterising cities. With a focus on the premodern city of Vijayanagara in southern India, this chapter therefore intends to let archaeological evidence of material conditions in the city be considered in conjunction with readings of textual records, with the aim of teasing out new interpretations of the history of this particular city by examining this dialogue. The written accounts constitute highly influential sixteenth-century European travel writings on the city. The archaeological material consists of engraved game boards which appear all over the former urban landscape. The dialogue is analysed with concepts from play theory. The results show how a dialectic approach can provide opportunities to rediscover the game places and the travel narratives both in terms of former emergent worlds with imaginative, experiential properties and as the material signatures of a city experienced – a city emerging from, and feeding into, dramatic dialogue.
The collection is the inaugural volume in the book series Ludic Cultures, 1100-1700. More information about the series can be found at https://mip-archumanitiespress.org/series/mip/ludic-cultures/.
An innovative volume of fifteen interdisciplinary essays at the nexus of material culture, performance studies, and game theory, Playthings in Early Modernity emphasizes the rules of the game(s) as well as the breaking of those rules. Thus, the titular ‘plaything’ is understood as both an object and a person, and play, in the early modern world, is treated not merely as a pastime, a leisurely pursuit, but as a pivotal part of daily life, a strategic psychosocial endeavor.
FOR PRIVATE AND NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY
In historical archaeology, material remains were until recently commonly viewed as secondary sources, which were used to illustrate and verify written evidence. However, as far as the interpretation and re-establishment of former ancient cities was concerned, such an approach tended to eradicate what Lewis Mumford defined as the dramatic dialogue, one of the typical features characterising cities. With a focus on the premodern city of Vijayanagara in southern India, this chapter therefore intends to let archaeological evidence of material conditions in the city be considered in conjunction with readings of textual records, with the aim of teasing out new interpretations of the history of this particular city by examining this dialogue. The written accounts constitute highly influential sixteenth-century European travel writings on the city. The archaeological material consists of engraved game boards which appear all over the former urban landscape. The dialogue is analysed with concepts from play theory. The results show how a dialectic approach can provide opportunities to rediscover the game places and the travel narratives both in terms of former emergent worlds with imaginative, experiential properties and as the material signatures of a city experienced – a city emerging from, and feeding into, dramatic dialogue.