The University of Lleida puts the Iberian world into play

LleidaIt all started more than three years ago. The company Iltirta, dedicated to disseminating knowledge about archaeology and a collaborator of the University of Lleida, designed a simple card game to liven up one of the days of the Iberian weekend that is convened annually at the archaeological sites of Catalonia. It was an incipient proposal, made with domestic and limited resources, with no other pretension than to provide a good time for tourists and enthusiasts.

But now that initiative has gone further. Today, with many more human and economic resources, Ibèrikon has been published, a box with two decks of 42 cards that allows us to understand and learn about the Iberian world through the game.

The cards show dozens of characters inspired by that historical period, all illustrated with the utmost scientific rigor and incorporating profiles previously ignored by historiography. “If you ask us about the people of that time, we generally think of warriors, but no one talks about the elderly and children,” admits Natàlia Alonso, professor and director of the history department at the University of Lleida. Precisely for this reason, Ibèrikon incorporates the image of characters of all ages, genders, and social functions, with the aim of providing a complete view of the community. A newborn, a shepherdess, an elderly midwife, or a veteran stonemason, merchants, craftswomen, peasants, nobles, and warriors… An entire society illustrated from a very broad and inclusive perspective. The drawings include some nods to Vilars d’Arbeca or Gebut de Soses, the two archaeological sites in which the UdL's archaeology department regularly participates with excavations and research. The cards also incorporate the figure of the so-called intruders, characters from the 21st century linked to the Iberian world from their future (such as the archaeologist, an archaeozoologist, the archaeobotanist, and even a young enthusiast).

The author of all these drawings, the Tortosa-born artist Lluís Chavarria (els Reguers, 1988), already had some experience in this field. Among other projects, he had illustrated the book Los pobles dels rius(Generalitat de Catalunya, 2023), a volume that interprets the lands of the rivers that converge between Catalonia, the Valencian Community, and Aragon more than 2,500 years ago. This background has allowed Chavarria to understand the difficulties involved in recreating the past with rigor. "In many cases there is evidence, but no physical proof, and I have had to rely on all the documentation provided by the experts," explains Chavarria. He understands the demands of the academic world and, despite some artistic licenses he was granted, the vast majority of Ibèrikon's illustrations are based on the most scientific interpretation. This is why we only find earthy colors and no bright colors, nor pure white. Nevertheless, there is the presence, especially among the noble characters, of clothes painted with a wild blue, because there is certainty that woad forests proliferated in Catalonia to dye the clothes of aristocrats.

Ares Vidal, a partner at the Iltirta company and the first person to create an initial sketch of the project, points out that each image in the game is based on very precise archaeological, ethnographic, and experimental references. “It shouldn't just be a game, but it also aims to illustrate and give visibility to people,” she asserts. For this reason, even small details of the clothing, accessories, or postures of the drawn characters were subject to constant supervision that has required a great deal of work. "I have redone some of the drawings numerous times," admits Chavarria.

The proposal incorporates all the knowledge from numerous excavations and studies on the Iberian world, as well as contributions from other research teams. As an artistic curiosity, one of the characters depicted in the game, Bilistages, the master builder, has a very similar profile (and unintentionally so) to that of Emili Junyent, the retired professor who led the first archaeological campaigns at Vilars d'Arbeca.

One of the product's unique features is that it includes different ways to play. The main one is inspired by the mechanics of the popular Who is Who?, based on questions and answers to identify characters. In parallel, the cards also allow for a second competitive mode based on the characters' attributes, which have scores for knowledge, skill, empathy, and leadership. In this second mode, players must try to take their opponents' cards by using each character's best aptitudes and thus understanding the importance of each role in Iberian society. For example, the empathy of a midwife, the knowledge of an experienced herbalist, or the skills of an artisan can easily defeat a military leader.

A tool for museums and schools

The commercialization of the game is another of the project's challenges. It is released at a price of 24.95 euros and a first edition of 500 units has been made, which have already been printed in a box with all its details.

The idea is to distribute it mainly through museums, interpretation centers, schools, and facilities linked to archaeological heritage. The promoters have already initiated the first contacts with the Lleida Museum and the Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia, among others, to explore the first sales channels. The interest that the game may arouse in other parts of Spain, where there is a widespread Iberian tradition, has led the promoters to consider the possibility of producing an edition in Spanish very soon.