This work attempts to understand Spanish colonial intercultural interactions in the early colonial period by compiling and analyzing data related to how these occurred at Concepción de la Vega,... Show moreThis work attempts to understand Spanish colonial intercultural interactions in the early colonial period by compiling and analyzing data related to how these occurred at Concepción de la Vega, one of the first settlements on the island of Hispaniola, in present-day Dominican Republic, using a Decolonial, Post-Processual, approach.The archaeological site associated to Concepción de la Vega, La Vega Vieja, was chosen as a study site because it was one of the earliest and most affluent Spanish settlements in the Americas. Research about the site offered the opportunity to assess some of the earliest Spanish, Amerindian and African entanglements and interactions in the Americas. Additionally, the site of La Vega Vieja has a tightly dated context (1495 to 1564) with no large, subsequent, occupation until the 20th century. The combination of both historical and archaeological data about Concepción de la Vega can help create a better understanding of the process through which the Spanish-American cultural tradition was created, and later disseminated, to the rest of Latin America.The research presented here focuses on the use of all artifacts (not just ceramics) as opposed to artifact manufacture chaine opératoire. It will focus particularly on use in nondomestic areas. This will be more in keeping with new trends in archaeological research, focusing more on problem solving, as opposed to a more chronological or typological approach. Show less
Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series is one the entertainment industry's most popular titles set in the past. With a new game released on an annual basis-each full of distinct historical places,... Show moreUbisoft's Assassin's Creed series is one the entertainment industry's most popular titles set in the past. With a new game released on an annual basis-each full of distinct historical places, events, and people-the series has unfolded across post-classical history, from the Levant during the Third Crusade to Victorian-era London. The 2017 release of Assassin's Creed: Origins, which entailed a massive reconstruction of Hellenistic Egypt, pushed the series even further back in time. With it, Ubisoft also launched its Discovery Tour, allowing players to explore the game's setting at their leisure and without combat. These trends continued in 2018's Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, set in Greece during the Peloponnesian War. This review discusses the narrative, world, and gameplay of the latest Assassin's Creed within the series more broadly. We provide a critical appraisal of the experience that Odyssey offers and link it to this question: in the Assassin's Creed series, do we engage in meaningful play with the past, or are we simply assassinating our way through history? Show less
