I am not a fan of Excel.

Reasons not to use Excel

My main reason is that it does things without telling me. Anyone who ever tried to import an English formatted table into a German speaking program knows what I mean – it drops “leading” zeros (as in 0.2), because in Germany we use commas instead (0,2). Excel unapologetically changes the 0.2 into a 2 without telling me and at the same time OVERWRITES the document. I hate you Excel, I really do, because if the document contains a few thousand entries and not all of them start with a zero, chances are that you don’t notice. I don’t really need to explain the implications, do I? And yes. It happened to me. And yes, for ages I did not know what was happening to my data… and yes, I cursed not just quietly after finding out…

Also, if I tell Excel to save something to *.csv (comma-separated-values, a very simple text-based table data format, which usually every program can read), it doesn’t do it correctly (forgets to put text-entries with commas in quotation marks), which can lead to horrible complications.

Also, the graphics created by Excel are ugly.

Also, there is actually a scientific article on how statistical procedures in Excel are not accurate ().

But what to use instead? I cannot expect everyone to invest the time and effort needed to learn the statistical programming language R, which I prefer, just to draw a little pie chart (google “don’t use pie charts” before doing it!).

Reasons to use LibreCalc instead

I tell people to install LibreOffice and to use their table calculation program “Calc”. It looks in essence a bit like an old Excel, but

  • It is free
  • It does not do things without telling me (it simply asks me, seriously Excel, that’s not too much to ask, is it?!)
  • It imports and exports csv perfectly and readily, offering different separators and all that
  • It creates much nicer graphics, that are – I think – more easily adapted
  • I don’t think I’ve heard anyone complain about its statistical calculations
  • I like it. And I’m not the only one.

So, if you don’t need to do a complicated statistical analysis, you don’t need complicated statistical software, of course. A spreadsheet-program might be what you need, absolutely.

Just don’t use Excel.

Please.

Bibliography

Souza, Aaron de, and Martina Trognitz. 2021. “Analysis of Middle Nubian Vessel-Forming Technology Using Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI).” Interdisciplinaria Archaeologica, Natural Sciences in Archaeology XII (1): 19–35. https://doi.org/10.24916/iansa.2021.1.2.
Wilkinson, Mark D., Michel Dumontier, IJsbrand Jan Aalbersberg, Gabrielle Appleton, Myles Axton, Arie Baak, Niklas Blomberg, et al. 2016. “The FAIR Guiding Principles for Scientific Data Management and Stewardship.” Scientific Data 3: 160018. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2016.18.
Doerr, M. 2003. “The CIDOC CRM – an Ontological Approach to Semantic Interoperability of Metadata.” In Ontology Research, edited by Christopher Welty, 3:21. AI Magazine 24.
Brancato, Rodolfo, Marianna Nicolosi-Asmundo, and Grazia Pagano. 2019. “Towards an Ontology for Investigating on Archaeological Sicilian Landscapes.” In Open Data and Ontologies for Cultural Heritage. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Open Data and Ontologies for Cultural Heritage Co-Located with the 31st International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2019), edited by Antonella Poggi, 85–90. CEUR Workshop Proceedings 2375. Rom.
Langis-Barsetti, Dominique. 2021. “Building Kunulua Block by Block: Exploring Archaeology through Minecraft.” Near Eastern Archaeology 84 (1): 62–70.
Berners-Lee, Tim. 2006. “Linked Data - Design Issues.” https://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html.
Maddison, M. Simon, and Sophie C. Schmidt. 2020. “Percolation Analysis – Archaeological Applications at Widely Different Spatial Scales.” Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology 3 (1): 269–287. https://doi.org/10.5334/jcaa.54.
Goedicke, Michael, and Ulrike Lucke. 2020. “Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur für und mit Computer Science (NFDIxCS).” In . Webinar. https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/foerderung/programme/nfdi/nfdi_konferenz_2020/nfdixcs_abstract.pdf.
Löffler, Frank. 2020. “Nationale Forschungsdateninfrastruktur Für Wissenschaftliche Software (NFDI4RSE).” In . Webinar. https://www.dfg.de/download/pdf/foerderung/programme/nfdi/nfdi_konferenz_2020/nfdi4rse_abstract.pdf.
Bierwirth, Maik, Frank Oliver Glöckner, Christian Grimm, Sonja Schimmler, Franziska Boehm, Christian Busse, Andreas Degkwitz, Oliver Koepler, and Heike Neuroth. 2020. “Leipzig-Berlin-Erklärung zu NFDI-Querschnittsthemen der Infrastrukturentwicklung,” June. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.3895208.
Rollinger, Christian. 2020. “Playing with the Ancient World. An Introduction to Classical Antiquity in Video Games.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 1–18. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.0006.
Rollinger, Christian. 2020. “An Archaeology of Ancient Historical Video Games.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 19–44. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-001.
Chapman, Adam. 2020. “Epilogue: Quo Vadis Historical Game Studies and Classical Receptions? Moving Two Fields Forward Together.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 233–52. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-014.
Holter, Erika, Una Ulrike Schäfer, and Sebastian Schwesinger. 2020. “Simulating the Ancient World. Pitfalls and Opportunities of Using Game Engines for Archaeological and Historical Research.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 217–32. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-013.
Flegler, Alexander. 2020. “The Complexities and Nuances of Portraying History in Age of Empires.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 205–16. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-012.
Paprocki, Maciej. 2020. “Mortal Immortals. Deicide of Greek Gods in Apotheon and Its Role in the Greek Mythic Storyworld.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 193–204. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-011.
Morley, Neville. 2020. “Choose Your Own Counterfactual. The Melian Dialogue as Text-Based Adventure.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 179–92. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-010.
Nolden, Nico. 2020. “Playing with an Ancient Veil. Commemorative Culture and the Staging of Ancient History within the Playful Experience of the MMORPG, The Secret World.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 157–76. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-009.
Clare, Ross. 2020. “Postcolonial Play in Ancient World Computer Role-Playing Games.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 141–56. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-008.
Travis, Roger. 2020. “The Bethesda Style. The Open-World Role-Playing Game as Formulaic Epic.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 127–40. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-007.
McCall, Jeremiah. 2020. “Digital Legionaries. Video Game Simulations of the Face of Battle in the Roman Republic.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 107–24. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-005.
Machado, Dominic. 2020. “Battle Narratives from Ancient Historiography to Total War: Rome II.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 93–106. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-005.
Beavers, Sian. 2020. “The Representation of Women in Ryse: Son of Rome.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 77–90. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-004.
French, Tristan, and Andrew Gardner. 2020. “Playing in a ‘Real’ Past. Classical Action Games and Authenticity.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 63–76. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350066663.ch-003.
Serrano Lorenzo, David. 2020. “Ludus (Not) Over. Video Games and the Popular Perception of Ancient Past Reshaping.” In Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World, edited by Christian Rollinger, 47–62. London: Bloomsbury Academic. http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/classical-antiquity-in-video-games-playing-with-the-ancient-world.
Solms, Charlayn von, and Richard Warren. 2020. Classical Antiquity in Video Games: Playing with the Ancient World. Edited by Christian Rollinger, K. F. B. Fletcher, Osman Umurhan, and Rosario Rovira Guardiola. Bloomsbury Academic. http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/classical-antiquity-in-video-games-playing-with-the-ancient-world.
Prescott, Julie, and Jan Bogg. 2013. “The Gendered Identity of Women in the Games Industry” 7 (1): 14.
Hartmann, Tilo, and Christoph Klimmt. 2006. “Gender and Computer Games: Exploring Females’ Dislikes.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 11 (4): 910–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00301.x.
Zamaróczy, Nicolas de. 2016. “Are We What We Play? Global Politics in Historical Strategy Computer Games.” International Studies Perspectives, February, ekv010. https://doi.org/10.1093/isp/ekv010.
Voorhees, Gerald A. 2009. “I Play Therefore I Am: Sid Meier’s Civilization, Turn-Based Strategy Games and the Cogito.” Games and Culture 4 (3): 254–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412009339728.
Wang, Shiang-Kwei. 2010. “Effects of Playing a History-Simulation Game: Romance of Three Kingdoms.” International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations 2 (2): 36–56. https://doi.org/10.4018/jgcms.2010040103.
Huggett, Jeremy. 2012. “Core or Periphery? Digital Humanities from an Archaeological Perspective.” Historical Social Research: Historische Sozialforschung 37 (3): 86–105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.37.2012.3.86-105.
Xinhua. 2017. “Restoring Colour to China’s Terracotta Army.” Nachrichten. The Telegraph. September 10, 2017. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china-watch/culture/terracotta-warriors/.
Macalister, R.A.S. n.d. Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum, Vol. 1. Dublin: 1945.
Hageneuer, Sebastian, ed. 2020. Communicating the Past in the Digital Age: Proceedings of the International Conference on Digital Methods in Teaching and Learning in Archaeology (12th-13th October 2018). London: Ubiquity. https://doi.org/10.5334/bch.
Giere, Daniel. 2019. Computerspiele - Medienbildung - historisches Lernen. Zu Repräsentation und Rezeption von Geschichte in digitalen Spielen. Forum Historisches Lernen. Frankfurt am Main: WOCHENSCHAU Verlag.
Yap, B. W., and C. H. Sim. 2011. “Comparisons of Various Types of Normality Tests.” Journal of Statistical Computation and Simulation 81 (12): 2141–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/00949655.2010.520163.
Smith, Monica L. 2014. “Citizen Science in Archaeology.” American Antiquity 79 (4): 749–62. https://doi.org/10.7183/0002-7316.79.4.749.
Giere, Daniel. 2016. “Beworbene Vergangenheit: Ein Terminologische Annäherung an Geschichte in Digitalen Spielen.” In Modellierung Des Krieges? Digitale Spiele Als Geschichtswissenschaftliche Forschungsgegenstände, edited by Tobias Winnerling, 13–51. Militär Und Gesellschaft in Der Frühen Neuzeit 20. Potsdam: Universitätsverlag Potsdam.
Dicheva, Darina, Christo Dichev, Gennady Agre, and Galia Angelova. 2015. “Gamification in Education: A Systematic Mapping Study.” Educational Technology & Society 18 (3): 14.
Name, Dein. 2018. “Jedes Medium ist anders: Akzeptanz unterschiedlicher digitaler Medien in der Hochschullehre.” die hochschullehre - Interdisziplinäre Zeitschrift für Studium und Lehre 4. http://www.hochschullehre.org/?p=1131.
Paletschek, Sylvia. 2002. “Die Erfindung der Humboldtschen Universität: Die Konstruktion der deutschen Universitätsidee in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts.” Historische Anthropologie 10 (2): 183–205. https://doi.org/10.7788/ha.2002.10.2.183.
Walz, Markus. 2016. Handbuch Museum: Geschichte, Aufgaben, Perspektiven. Springer-Verlag.
Wosnitza, Marold, Kerstin Helker, and Lucas Lohbeck. 2014. “Teaching Goals of Early Career University Teachers in Germany.” International Journal of Educational Research 65: 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2013.09.009.
Hamiti, Mentor, Blerim Reka, and Florinda Imeri. 2015. “The Impact of Computer Components in Enhancing the Quality of Teaching and Learning Process in Universities.” Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences 191: 2422–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.564.
Schütz-Pitan, Jessica, Tina Weiß, and Jan Hense. 2018. “Jedes Medium ist anders: Akzeptanz unter- schiedlicher digitaler Medien in der Hochschullehre,” 20.
Zawacki-Richter, Olaf, and Marco Kalz, eds. 2019. Zeitschrift Für Hochschulentwicklung Bd. 14 Nr. 2: Open Education Im Kontext Der Digitalisierung | Zeitschrift Für Hochschulentwicklung. https://www.zfhe.at/index.php/zfhe/issue/view/62.
Wilkesmann, Uwe, and Christian J. Schmid. 2011. “Lehren lohnt sich (nicht)?” Soziale Welt 62 (3): 251–78. https://doi.org/10.5771/0038-6073-2011-3-251.
Perkins, P., D. A. Spaeth, and R. H. Trainor. 1992. “Computers and the Teaching of History and Archaeology in Higher Education.” Computers & Education 19 (1): 153–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-1315(92)90021-V.
Denard, Hugh. 2012. “A New Introduction to the London Charter.” In Paradata and Transparency in Virtual Heritage, edited by Anna Bentkowksa-Kafel and Hugh Denard, 57–71. London, New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315599366-14.
, , , ,
Show Comments

Sophie Schmidt

Founder & Editor

About the Author

My name is Sophie, I am a prehistoric and computational archaeologist and have been research associate at the Universities of Bonn and Cologne, as well as for the NFDI4Objects project at the German Archaeological Institute. I teach statistics for archaeologists, work on new methods in settlement archaeology (GIS, geostatistics in R and stuff) and am interested in archaeogaming. Now I started my PhD-project on the 5th mill. BC in Brandenburg (that's North-East Germany).

View Articles