SoA Forums

History => Ancient and Medieval History => Topic started by: Imperial Dave on June 06, 2024, 06:56:26 AM

Title: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Imperial Dave on June 06, 2024, 06:56:26 AM
https://www.iflscience.com/one-of-the-worlds-oldest-games-may-have-not-been-invented-in-ancient-egypt-after-all-74511

Does it have dice.....?
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Ian61 on June 06, 2024, 08:11:02 AM
It seems to need something along the dice line. I must admit the description given suggests a more complex game than I had imagined, but as it says may have been played with different rules in different places - to this day my wife refuses to play backgammon with me because I play the rule book as opposed to the variation she was taught by her grandparents.
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Justin Swanton on June 06, 2024, 08:29:13 AM
It looks very similar to the Royal Game of Ur (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZskjLq040I) which was also a race game and used D4.

Backgammon incidentally is a descendant of the Ur game.
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Erpingham on June 06, 2024, 09:48:02 AM
I had some difficulty with the geography on this one.  To me, South-west Asia makes me think Arabian penninsular.
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Keraunos on June 06, 2024, 11:43:07 AM
I don't think many people would equate the Southern Caucasus with Southwestern Asia, a term I have never encountered before.
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Justin Swanton on June 06, 2024, 12:16:18 PM
Quote from: Keraunos on June 06, 2024, 11:43:07 AMI don't think many people would equate the Southern Caucasus with Southwestern Asia, a term I have never encountered before.

Strictly-speaking southwestern Asia is the Arabian peninsula.
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Duncan Head on June 06, 2024, 12:17:24 PM
Quote from: Keraunos on June 06, 2024, 11:43:07 AMI don't think many people would equate the Southern Caucasus with Southwestern Asia, a term I have never encountered before.
It's not that rare (https://www.britannica.com/place/Southwest-Asia) a usage (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Asia).
Title: Re: The ancient game of 58 holes
Post by: Erpingham on June 06, 2024, 12:34:09 PM
Thanks Duncan.  A very enlightening pair of links.