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Discovering ancient near eastern board games |
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From more than a hundred artefact of board gathered through the Near Eastern world in a period of time
of approximately two thousand years (from 2600 to 600 B.C) by archaeological teams we can be doubtless
about its widespread use as a recreation tool across all levels of societies such as Egyptian or levantine.
Less obvious are relationships between those boards and sciences and religions of their time.
If you are here after some insights about ancestors of backgammon,
you can have a look at sections about 20 and 30 squares games and hypothesis about the way they were played.
If you wonder how games were used to foretell future, read, download or print articles and essays I have written on the subject.
I am sorry that some of them are currently only available in French but I had to keep their content as secret as possible :).
Use an online translator or provide me the address of a philantrop with plenty of free time.
Games families
- mehen
: circular pattern of holes used with dices and stones for two or four players
- 20 squares
: race type game for two players moving five pieces according to the results of throws produced by four-side dices
- 30 squares/senet
: race type game for two players with special squares and seven pieces to move around the board with the help of two-side dices
- 58 holes
: race type game with apparently less strategy because less possible contact between the two players. Movement of pieces governed by random results of throws of four side games.
Chronology of board games
complete information
about some fifty ancient near Eastern board games (more to come...).
- pre-dynastic
: 2700 - 2400 B. C. : Mehen and 20 square.
- dynastic
: 2350 - 1800 B. C. : early versions of the three main families.
- bronze age
: 1750 - 1150 B. C. : large development of senet and variations over the games of 20 squares and 58 holes.
- iron age
: 1100 - 650 B. C. : large diffusion of the 58 holes game and generalisation of both the 20 and the 30 squares games.
- historic
: 600 - 150 B. C. : apparent decline of the two mentioned above and re-appearance in the Coptic Egypt of the 58 holes game.
In-depth articles
articles
and essays about history, archeology and representation of ancient board games
Exhibition
a presentation
of more or less all the images I have gathered so far related to old board games
Animation
a simple animation
to show the reconstitution of a reversible board games found in Meggido (courtesy of the Chicago Oriental Institute)
Bibliography
the exhaustive list
of my readings related to my research on ancient board games.
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