Games of History: Games and Gaming as Historical Sources

Description

Games of History provides an understanding of how games as artefacts, textual and visual sources on games and gaming as a pastime or a “serious” activity can be used as sources for the study of history. From the vast world of games, the book’s focus is on board and card games, with reference to physical games, sports and digital games as well. Considering culture, society, politics and metaphysics, the author uses examples from various places around the world and from ancient times to the present to demonstrate how games and gaming can offer the historian an alternative, often very valuable and sometimes unique path to the past. The book offers a thorough discussion of conceptual and material approaches to games as sources, while also providing the reader with a theoretical starting point for further study within specific thematic chapters. The book concludes with three case studies of different types of games and how they can be considered as historical sources: the gladiatorial games, chess and the digital game Civilization. Offering an alternative approach to the study of history through its focus on games and gaming as historical sources, this is the ideal volume for students considering different types of sources and how they can be used for historical study, as well as students who study games as primary or secondary sources in their history projects. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication CONTENTS Acknowledgements Pregame Defining games and gaming Classifications of games Sources, aim and scope of the book 1. Conceptual approaches to games Travelling game concepts Game onomasiology and semasiology as historical lenses Studying game concepts and their visualization 2. Material approaches to games The material side of games History from games—History of games—History and games Studying games in terms of material history 3. Games of culture Games and cultural values Games and cultural meetings Games and cultural memory Games and cultural hegemony 4. Games of society Games and socialization Games as social mirrors Games as agents of equality and inequality Games and gender 5. Games of politics Games as media of visual political communication Games as witnesses and agents of political history Games and diplomacy Games and “low politics” Antigaming legislation 6. Games of metaphysics Games, death and the soul in ancient times Games and the occult Games as religious didactic tools Religious reactions to games and gaming 7. The gladiatorial games as a historical source Political approach Cultural approach Social approach Gender approach 8. Chess as a historical source Political approach Cultural approach Social approach Gender and erotic approach Religious approach 9. Sid Meier’s Civilization as a historical source Endgame Bibliography Index