Excavate! Byzantine Empire

Learn History in a new way with Excavate! Byzantine, an immersive social studies game for middle school students where you role-play as an archaeologist! Use Archaeological thinking to apply C3 skills of Inquiry and Evaluation of Evidence to aspects of Byzantine daily life not covered in textbooks. By excavating and analyzing four significant locations, players will:

• Gain a new perspective on the ancient Byzantine empire
• Distinguish the roles of men, women, and children in the ancient Byzantine empire
• Examine the symbols of the King and Queen
• Explain the symbolism and procedure of an ancient military and religion

Players can explore the sites in any order; progress is recorded in journals that log collected artifacts, field notes and achievements. Throughout the game, players use C3 skills to analyze and make connections. They carefully deduct the facts about each area, stratum by stratum and artifact by artifact. At each location, players make meaning of how artifacts were used through a series of analysis questions and reports that require players to make connections, read closely and consider the historical context of the primary source artifacts. Finally, players see each site come alive as artifacts populate an historically accurate image of Byzantine life.

Features:

• Imperial Palace: Understand the people associated with leading the Byzantine Empire.
• Oikos: Understand how the family was the center of the social system and the function of multiple items within the home.
• Hagia Sophia: This scene helps players understand the daily practices of the Christian faith and items used for religious ceremonies in the Byzantine Empire.
• Augustaion: Learn how Constantinople was a center for trade and visualize the market scene in the Byzantine Empire and the structural integrity and influences of the buildings surrounding it.

• Engage with objects of daily life textbooks never include 

• Use archaeological thinking to piece together historical understanding 

• See artifacts in context in the ancient world 

• Design input from Social Studies teachers 

• Historically Accurate, C3 Skills-Based learning
• Free Teacher Guides, Lesson Plans, and Extension Activities
• Track Student Progress
• Bundle with other Excavate! games for a complete curriculum solution

Excavate! Series:

Excavate! Byzantine is one