Mini Camp

Archeological Challenge


Welcome all to the Mini Camp, a casual challenge meant to warm you up for Summer Camp! Mini Camp is a new concept, which consists of 3 prompts given over the span of 12 days, with one prompt every 4 days. All three prompts are related to the same subject, in this case: Archeology! And here's the twist: to be elligible for this challenge, all article must be shorter than 500 words. Why a 500 word max limit? The idea of these mini prompts is to warm ourselves up for Summer Camp, by focusing on whats important and avoiding an early burn out.

At the end of the challenge, I will be sharing a large selection of submissions I particularly enjoyed. There will be no "winners"- this is a low pressure event, the goal is to have fun and try out a new challenge format!

3 Prompts, 3 Phases, 1 Theme

The theme of this challenge is "Archeology". All three prompts will be releated to that one subject, but there are many ways to go about it! The main idea is to focus on the history of one's world, through the scope of an "archeological" discovery. This dicsovery need not be purposful: the Lascaux caves were discovered by playing children, and Champollion's horse tripped over the Rosetta Stone. In fact, your world doesn't need to have "archeologists" at all for this challenge!

The first prompt is given today, on the 18th of June. The second prompt will be released on the 22nd of June, and the third and final prompt will be released on the 26th of June. You have until the release of the following prompt to complete your article- but not to worry, if you go over feel free to still share your work. The final deadline to submit your work is the 30th of June.


Prompt 1: Geography / Building

Tell us about a historical place or excavation site, where remain the ruins of an old civilisation.

If we want to find old objects, first we must know where to look! It could be a meadow or clearing with ruins burried deep beneath, an ancient burrial site, the construction site of a new house where treasure was unearthed, cellars in old houses with forgotten rooms, catacombs, caves and grottos covered in paintings...

Here are a few extra questions to help stimulate the imagination: Where is this place located? How was it found? Who used to live here, and what did they leave behind? Who (if anyone) currently lives here?


Prompt 2: Item

Tell us about an object, artefact or other item found on the grounds of your historical site. What does it look like? Who did it belong to?

Congratulations, you found an old object! While the challenge expects the object to be found on the place you previously made up, feel free to make up whatever it is you fancy. The object can be an every day item, it could be treasure, or even the remains of some poor soul. Regardless of what it is, its old, and has some historical interest!

Here are a few extra questions to help stimulate the imagination: What does this object look like? What is it made of? Who did it belong to? Where was it found? How did it end up here?


Prompt 3: Tradition

Tell us about an old tradition or ritual associated to an ancient object or location.

Your historian / archeologist / random passberbye has found an ancient object / place, and as most people tend to do they will start to invent wild theories concerning it. Is it a calendar or a bread stamp? A mysterious tomb filled with treasure, or the "junk cave" of an artisan school? And whatever theory exist, how accurate is it?

Here are a few extra questions to get you started: What is the tradition like? What evidence do your character / people have to defend their idea? How wrong or accurate are they in their hypothesis?
I would like to make a shoutout to the amazing Annie Stein (aka Nnie), who not only did this banner but whose Summer Camp Chill Guidelines inspired the idea of this challenge! You can check them out on her Summer Camp Pledge!
Cup by Metropolitan Museum
Nakim against the Minotaur by unknown

Rules Overview:

  • In order to be read and shared, articles must be published and public.
  • Articles can be written in any language, though english or french are preferred!
  • You article must be between 300 words and 500 words (bbcode and whatnot not included).
  • To submit your article, simply copy paste either the link or bbcode of your article down in the comments!

  • Happy Worldbuilding!


    Prompt 1 Articles: Geography / Building


    Prompt 2 Articles: Item / Material


    Prompt 3 Articles: Tradition



    Cover image: by Nnie

    Comments

    Please Login in order to comment!
    Jun 18, 2022 23:35 by Lexi Con (WordiGirl)

    Interesting mini challenge! <3 God bless and much success!

    Jun 22, 2022 10:18 by TC

    Thank you very much!

    Creator of Arda Almayed
    Jun 20, 2022 10:39

    Done

    Principia of Legio I Italica
    Building / Landmark | Jun 20, 2022

    Check out the worlds of Starhome and Magic Earth
    If you are looking for my Worldember articles check Magic Earth or My Worldember Progress Page
    Jun 20, 2022 15:22 by Mochi

    Accidentally deleted the comment xD

    Watermill Manors
    Building / Landmark | Sep 12, 2022
    Here's my entry for prompt 1!

    I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Come prep for Summer Camp with me!
    Jun 26, 2022 19:02 by Mochi

    Prompt 2!

    Bell of Barron
    Item | Jul 26, 2022

    I hope you have a great day!   Explore the endless planets brimming with life of the Yonderverse! Go after creatures, discover new places, and learn about the people you find along the way.   Come prep for Summer Camp with me!
    Jun 20, 2022 23:39

    Prompt 1 complete! I'm very excited for this challenge since it plays right in to what I had already decided to focus on in summer camp.

    The Ak'Dool Hill-city
    Settlement | Jun 22, 2022

    A city hidden in plain sight

    Jun 22, 2022 05:27

    Here's prompt 2. I'm surprised at just how much I'm struggling to keep these under the word limit, there's just so much I want to keep saying about these things so far. I'm glad for this challenge making me aware of that kind of thing before SC

    Mask of the Wild Beard
    Item | Jun 28, 2022

    Jun 28, 2022 18:42

    Last Prompt! This time around, a little brainstorming beforehand helped me figure out what points I wanted to hit so I didn't have to find them as I went. So that way, it was more concise. Once I had said a little bit about my target ideas, I could expand on whatever I liked until the length suited it. Thanks for running this mini challenge, I had a lot of fun with it and I'm chomping at the bit for more!

    Ak'Dool Mask Plays
    Tradition / Ritual | Jun 28, 2022

    Jul 1, 2022 15:43 by TC

    Thank you so much for participating! Your worked turned out great, its really nice to see how they all work together!

    Creator of Arda Almayed
    Jun 21, 2022 11:09

    What a fun idea to get the writing muscles started on writing from prompts! Are you going to be writing your own articles too?

    Jun 22, 2022 10:20 by TC

    I have written something for the first prompt, and will likely do the same for the second and third too! Thank you for participating <3

    Creator of Arda Almayed
    Jun 30, 2022 08:59

    On holidays, so no time to make it pretty. But I really enjoyed prompt 3 :D

    Stone circle
    Tradition / Ritual | Jun 30, 2022

    Jul 1, 2022 15:45 by TC

    Thank you for participating, I really enjoyed reading through your work <3 !

    Creator of Arda Almayed
    Jun 21, 2022 14:08 by Dani

    1st prompt completed! https://www.worldanvil.com/w/luridity-daniadventures/a/port-requiem-landmark


    You are doing a great job! Keep creating; I believe in you!
    Luridity: Where love is love and life is lived. Contains NSFW content.
    Now with serialized fiction on Ream!!
    Jun 21, 2022 17:19 by Rachel Bentz

    skids in before the deadline I've had this idea for a while, but it was fun to expand on it in more detail. Maybe even more detail later on.

    The Iverson Site
    Building / Landmark | Feb 23, 2025

    The first of many Excavation sites related to the Ancient Ageis Kingdom

    May the Creator ever guide your Footsteps
    Jun 21, 2022 18:35

    Here is my article! Hope I arrive on time!

    Temple of Dayr Enmeret
    Building / Landmark | Jun 21, 2022

    Jun 21, 2022 18:38 by puffin

    This first prompt was fun, can't wait for the next one! https://www.worldanvil.com/w/meinos-puff1n/a/east-west-link-landmark

    Jun 21, 2022 18:45

    And the first prompt is done!

    Avalon's Reach
    Building / Landmark | Jun 21, 2022

    Join Worlds you may also like, an initiative for a user-curated navigation between similar worlds!
    Jun 26, 2022 11:09

    Second one! A material which still holds many secrets.

    Avalon Anti-Gravity Alloy
    Material | Jun 26, 2022

    Join Worlds you may also like, an initiative for a user-curated navigation between similar worlds!
    Jun 21, 2022 19:50 by Ty Barbary

    What a good opportunity to write about the very thing that sets my entire novel into motion, which until now had zero words about it on World Anvil! :B

    The Sinkhole
    Geographic Location | Jun 22, 2022

    In the dangerous land locally known as Beasthome, where hunting Urkvari packs and arcane creatures stake out their territories, a small patch of land collapsed and left an unexpected hollow in the earth. The unnamed sinkhole is 150' deep.

    (Commenting is hard, so please know that my enthusiasm is genuine, even if I can't muster a lot of words at the moment!)   My Bestiary February 2023 - 28 fantastical creatures
    Jun 21, 2022 20:15 by Michael Chandra

    *cries in wordcount limit*   Made it!

    Haervy
    Geographic Location | Jul 15, 2022

    An Ork ruin located deep in the rainforest


    Too low they build who build beneath the stars - Edward Young
    Jun 21, 2022 20:31

    First prompt done! Even if it is a bit of a retelling of things, I already had scattered across my world.

    The Depths of Kathal'Dir
    Building / Landmark | Jun 21, 2022

    Want to find more of the things i'm doing? SatriumHub
    Jun 21, 2022 20:41

    Second article for this wonderful challenge done!!

    The Deer Cup
    Item | Jun 21, 2022

    Jun 21, 2022 20:44 by Annie Stein
    Jun 22, 2022 05:22 by Ezra Aldrich

    Late to the party, but here we go. Couldn't manage much even with the small word limit, but I like the idea and hope to develop it more in depth in the future~  

    Sweetstone Ruins
    Building / Landmark | Jun 22, 2022

    Jun 28, 2022 04:20 by Ezra Aldrich

    And here's the second prompt. I went with material as specific items weren't coming to mind. I wrote about the stone that makes up the ruins from the first.  

    Sweet Stone
    Material | Jun 28, 2022

    Jun 22, 2022 20:15 by Rachel Bentz

    And Prompt #2 done! I'm super excited to expand upon this after the mini-challenges are done. (500 words on the dot, too.)

    The Flock of Ignatius IV
    Item | Feb 24, 2025

    Sixteen gifts, sixteen lives, sixteen curses.

    May the Creator ever guide your Footsteps
    Jun 22, 2022 22:03

    Here are my entries for Prompt 1 and 2. I know I am late for 1 but I hope you still enjoy reading it.

    Blade of the Sun King
    Item | Jun 22, 2022
    Renaith - City of Glass
    Building / Landmark | Jun 22, 2022

    Jun 24, 2022 23:00

    Here's my entry for prompt 1:

    Crystal Circle
    Building / Landmark | Jun 24, 2022

    Check out my On the Shoulders of Giants article: Satlonia
    Jun 25, 2022 15:36 by A

    Here is mine for prompt 2! (Did not do the 1st, but might go back to do it later) https://www.worldanvil.com/w/nimenra-worldkeymaster/a/prince-surr-s-flute-item?preview=true

    Worldkeymaster, also known as A of Worldkeymaster.
    You are welcome to explore Nimenra, a world in conflict between Humans and Demons.
    My summer camp articles and half-finished pledge document: Summer Camp 2022
    Jun 27, 2022 21:44

    Here is my article for Prompt 3! Hope you like it!!  

    Pouring of water into the Holy Pool
    Tradition / Ritual | Jun 28, 2022

    Jun 29, 2022 21:11 by Ty Barbary
    Jun 29, 2022 23:22 by Ezra Aldrich

    I struggled a bit at first with this one, but here's my last prompt. The series was a challenge for me for sure, but was still fun~  

    Ancient Protection
    Tradition / Ritual | Jun 29, 2022

    Jun 30, 2022 01:51 by Rachel Bentz

    *skids into the finish line* Did I make It? I think I made it. Here's prompt #3!  

    The Day of Endless/Darkened Sun
    Tradition / Ritual | Jun 12, 2024

    May the Creator ever guide your Footsteps
    Jun 30, 2022 16:44

    Hi there! Here's my submission for the challenge (and also the first article in this world) :D https://www.worldanvil.com/w/tevakari-ynarkael/a/siqovely-landmark

    Jun 30, 2022 20:22

    And here's my answer for prompt two: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/tevakari-ynarkael/a/natais--belt-item

    Jun 30, 2022 21:40 by Catoblepon

    I THINK I'M STILL IN TIME. I've speedrunned this. Kartkash temple, Kartkash sickle, and Kartkash known tradition ritual
    Thank you for doing this! It made me enter the worldbuilding mode :D Also made me finally start talking about this temple (which is about time).