International Expert Network

Research projects

NEW! COST ACTION GameTable. Computational Techniques for Tabletop Games Heritage (2023-2027)

Action Chair: Dr Eric Piette, Action co-Chair Dr Walter Crist.

Visit the website GameTable network for news!

ERC Consolidator: Our Mythical Childhood… (2016-2021): The Reception of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture in Response to Regional and Global Challenges | PI Prof. Katarzyna Marciniak, University of Warsaw

NEW: ERC PoC The Modern Argonauts| PI Prof. Katarzyna Marciniak, University of Warsaw (2023-2025)

Milano university “La Statale”: LALLACT (Lexicon of Ancient Ludonims, Ludic Activities, and Cultural Tradition) research group, led by Prof. Claudia Lambrugo.

Meet us: NOTOOTTO 2023 https://bit.ly/4gf2Cph

New publication: C. Lambrugo (ed.), A Turning World: a Multidisciplinary Approach to the Spinning Top and other Toys and Games, Milano, 2023

https://libri.unimi.it/index.php/milanoup/catalog/book/115

| ERC Consolidator: Token Communities in the Ancient Mediterranean (2016-2021) | PI Prof. Clare Rowan, University of Warwick

| ERC Consolidator: Digital Ludeme Project. Modelling the Evolution of Traditional Games. | PI Cameron Browne, University of Maastricht, Department of Data Science and Knowledge Engineering.

| Panoply Vase Animation Project | Steve Simons & Sonya Nevin

| ERC Advanced: Mapping Ancient Polytheisms (2017-2022): Cult Epithets as an Interface between Religious Systems and Human Agency | PI Prof. Corinne Bonnet, University of Toulouse

| Enjeu[x] Enfance et jeunesse (2015-2019) | PI Prof. Yves Denechère and Prof. Agnès Florin

| Segregated or Integrated? (2015-2019): Living and Dying in the Harbour City of Ostia, 300 BCE – 700 CE | PI Prof. Arja Karivieri, University of Stockholm

| Rubi Antiqua | Dr. Daniela Ventrelli

Research groups and Associations

| Liège Game Lab (University of Liège, Belgium): Created in January 2016, the Liège Game Lab brings together researchers from the University of Liège working on video games as a cultural object

| New Collection at the University of Liège: Jeu/Play/Spiel (dir. Véronique Dasen, Sébastien Genvo, Bjorn Olav Dozo)

| Ludocorpus. Groupement d’Intérêt Scientifique (GIS) « Jeu et Sociétés » | Scientific events Calls for projects

| Anhima center, Paris Anthropologie et Histoire des Mondes Antiques

| Ludus: International Board Game Studies Association

| International Toy Research Association | President Mark Allen

| SSCIP: The Society for the Study of Childhood in the Past

| Ductus: International Association for the study of minor inscriptions | President Prof. Michel Fuchs, University of Lausanne

| Giochi: Project of the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen, on the use of ancient board games in history teaching and communication | Marco Tibalidini, Italian association of history teachers Clio ’92

Associated Researchers

| David Bouvier, Prof. Greek literature, University of Lausanne

Locus Ludi video: 2018 Workshop Héraclite: Le temps est un enfant qui joue, 1-2.3.2018.

See D. Bouvier, V. Dasen (eds), Héraclite, Le temps est un enfant qui joue, Liège, 2020 (collection Jeu/Play/Spiel) Open access

Academia edu page

| Jérôme Gavin, Collège Voltaire, Geneva

The exploration of the relation between board games and abaci continues with the collaboration of Jérôme Gavin, a well known mathematician reconstructing the history of reckoning since antiquity. Finger calculation, abaci, geometry… have no secret for him.

More about:

His EPFL publications

SUR LES DOIGTS, JUSQU’À 9999. La numération digitale, des Anciens à la Renaissance , with A. Schärlig (2014)

ÉNIGMES MATHÉMATIQUES AU TEMPS DE CHARLEMAGNE. À propos des propositiones pour aiguiser l’esprit des jeunes, with Ph. Genequand (2021) | Review

Our collaboration on the relation between board games and abaci:

Dasen V., Gavin J., “Game Board or Abacus? Greek Counter Culture Revisited”, in B. Caré, V. Dasen, U. Schädler (eds), Back to the Game: Reframing Play and Games in Context. XXI Board Game Studies Annual Colloquium, International Society for Board Game Studies, April, 24-26, 2018, Benaki Museum – Italian School of Archaeology at Athens (Board Games Studies Supplement), Lisbon, Associação Ludus, 2021, 227-271 (= Board Games Studies Journal, 16, 1, 2022, 251-307). Open Access.

10.05.2022. GEO WEB. “La plus ancienne représentation d’un cours de mathématiques a été découverte”, Athenaïs Cornette de Sant Cyr. OpenAccess
06.05.2022. Sciences et Avenir, “Voici la plus ancienne représentation d’une leçon de maths datant de la Grèce antique (et vous allez tout comprendre !)”, Fabrice Nicot. Open access.
28.4.2022. Freiburger Nachrichten. Bisher älteste Darstellung Relief zeigt eine Mathe-Stunde vor 2500 Jahren, Maria Kafantari.
27.4.2022. Blick, Bisher älteste Darstellung Relief zeigt eine Mathe-Stunde vor 2500 Jahren (V. Dasen, J. Gavin about BGS 2021-2022). Link.
27.4.2022. Swissinfo, “La plus ancienne représentation connue d’une leçon de calcul” (V. Dasen, J. Gavin about BGS 2021-2022). Open Access.
27.4.2022.RTS La plus ancienne représentation connue d’une leçon de calcul identifiée (V. Dasen, J. Gavin about BGS 2021-2022).Podcast.

| Roberte Hamayon: Paris, École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), directrice d’études émérite, renowned anthropologist, research on the importance of games and play in the human experience.

Why We Play. An Anthropological Study, Chicago, 2016 | Online
Jouer. Une autre façon d’agir, Etude anthropologique à partir d’exemples sibériens, Lormont 2021.| Order the book
November 14, 2021, 17h15. Public lecture : La chance s’offre et se dérobe au religieux et au politique. University MIS 3.3115 | Programme. | Register.
November, 15, 2021: Fribourg Dies Academicus, celebration of the Dr. Honoris Causa title delivery | See on Fribourg University Website: Fr – De | On Twitter
November 16, 10h15-12h00. Thierry Wendling (CNRS, Paris), « Le magistère ludique de Roberte Hamayon ou comment l’esprit du jeu est venu aux anthropologues”, Giulia Sissa (UCLA, Los Angeles): “Le ludus à Rome”. University MIS Salle Jaeggi. Public lecture and exchange with Roberte Hamayon. On our Youtube channel
Read the interview of Roberte Hamayon in Alma&Georges, 1.12.2020: “De Paris aux steppes de Mongolie” | Online

Locus Ludi video: 2018 Workshop Héraclite: Le temps est un enfant qui joue, 1-2.3.2018

Two interviews of Roberte Hamayon about Play: « Les Possédés et leurs mondes » (Anthropolog.net) | Director : Frédéric Benjamin Laugrand

“Livre 8. Jouer, un art mineur ?” | 23.10.2019, Paris, France (27 min 05s)
“Livre 9. Jouer, représenter et faire place au hasard” | 23.10.2019 (22 min 31s) | Minute 13-14: See D. Bouvier, V. Dasen (eds), Héraclite, Le temps est un enfant qui joue, Liège, 2020 (collection Jeu/Play/Spiel) Open access

| François Lissarrague, directeur d’études émérite, Paris, EHESS, Seminar Anthropologie et images dans les mondes anciens

A life long passion for images with a pioneering structuralist approach of their system and visual language, shared with Locus Ludi at many occasions in Paris and in Fribourg.

On december 15, we learned with great emotion about his sudden death, and we will give here links to his main contributions to ancient ludic culture.

See also https://centrejeanberard.cnrs.fr/spip.php?article448&lang=fr

Locus Ludi video:

24.10.2019. De l’objet à l’illustration. Problèmes de méthode, Workshop ERC Locus Ludi Images en jeu: réception et transferts

7.9.2021: Quel est le temps du jeu? ERC Locus Ludi/CIERGA XVI Conference, Des dieux, des jeux, du hasard?

| Michel Manson: Prof. emerit. Paris University 13, Game historian | Academia |

Manson Michel, Meyer-Roudet Hélène, Le jouet et la culture enfantine, guide du Musée du jouet de Poissy, Paris, éditions Mare et Martin & Ville de Poissy, 2019, 141 p. (ISBN. 979-10-92054-98-9)

Richardson Thomas, in Le Courrier des Yvelines, May 8, 2019. | Pdf

Locus Ludi video: 2019 Jeux de putti, de l’Antiquité à la Renaissance, les jouets en plus, 24.10.2019

Locus Ludi video: 2018 L. Becq de Fouquières, le premier historien des jeux et jouets de l’Antiquité. International Conference, Play and Games in Antiquity. Definition, Transmission, Reception, 17-19.9.2018, Swiss Museum of Games (published).

| Katarzyna Marciniak, Classics professor, Warsaw | ERC Consolidator: Our Mythical Childhood (2016-2021/2022): The Reception of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture in Response to Regional and Global Challenges.

Locus Ludi video 2018: The Reception of the Alea iacta est Motif | International Conference, Play and Games in Antiquity. Definition, Transmission, Reception, 17-19.9. 2018, Swiss Museum of Games (published).

| Tim Penn: University of Edinburgh, archaeologist, specialist of games in Roman Britain | Academia

| Jean-Pierre Rossie: research on North African, Saharan and Amazigh (Berber) children’s play and toys | Academia.

“Comparer des jeux et jouets de l’antiquité gréco-romaine avec des jeux et jouets traditionnels du monde rural nord-africain” 24.10.2019

Locus Ludi video: 2019 | PDF (French) | PDF (English) | Slides (French) | Slides (English)

| Victoria Sabetai, Director of Research, Research Centre for Antiquity of the Academy of Athens

Specialist of Boeotian archaeology, Attic and regional vase-painting and iconography

Locus Ludi video: 2018 Playing at the Festival: Aiora, a Swinging Ritual, International Conference, Play and Games in Antiquity. Definition, Transmission, Reception, 17-19.9. 2018, Swiss Museum of Games (published).

Website | Academia

| Oriol Vaz-Romero Trueba: Painter and Sculptor, wooden jointed Dolls Designer ; Academic Research about Childhood and Toys Iconography, from Antiquity to Modern times, in Western Art History ; Anthropology of Playthings and Philosophy of Play (play-childhood-art creation) | Website

| Thierry Wendling: anthropologist (Paris, CNRS), research on the place of games in society, imagination, scientific theories and cognitive development | ethnographiques.org

Museums