brief history
This is the youngest of the four families of board games explored here since no evidence of its existence has been found before the egyptian Middle Kingdom (2040 - 1782 B.C.).
Strangly enough it seems to be the simplest to play.
Its relationship with Egypt is really tight and sees versions of the game as late as the Copte period
(first centuries of our era).
Over this period of two thousand years the shape and even the number of squares of the board have suffered great modifications.
However, the principles have probalby be left unchanged.
Probably popular amongst traders, evidences of the game have been found all over the Levantin world and even in the late Assyrian kingdoms
where it was taken by conquerors of Egypt in the seventh century B.C.
Some reversible game have been found in the levant, especialy in the archeological survey lead in Meggido.
After a disappearance from archaeological sites the game seems to have enjoy a late fashion in the Coptic Egypt.
principle
In the early versions of the game, each players seemed to have a distinct path made of 19 holes
on which it had to move five pins before bearing them off.
The game was then probably a game of pure chance that must have enjoy a great popularity for its easiness of use.
Some later versions shows the addition of a circular path at the top of the board, usually filled by a large number of holes
(between 8 and 10). This part of the game must have been common to both players probably increasing the reversal of situation.
Also, a board found in Tepe Sialk (Iran) shows that in certain versin connections were made to allow players to move from side of the board to the other.
In the other versions, some sort of shorcut were present connecting two squares and probably allowing a quickest movement for the player.
Most of the interst of the game was down to a confrontation of luck but some subtitlities might have been introduced in the history of the game.
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