Nearly half a century after its discovery, researchers from the United Kingdom and Iran proposed a set of rules for a 4,000-year-old board game unearthed in southeastern Iran. The game, found at the archaeological site of Shahr-i Sokhta, offers a vivid glimpse into ancient pastimes and the cultural vibrancy of early civilizations.
Discovered in 1977 by an Italian archaeological mission, the game includes a decorated wooden board featuring a snake motif, 27 carved pieces, and four uniquely shaped dice, according to Newsweek. The serpent’s body coils to form a spiral path delineating 20 spaces, with its head and tail possibly symbolizing victory and defeat.
Dating from 2600-2400 BCE, the game is considered a variant of the ‘Royal Game of Ur,’ one of the earliest known board games originating from Mesopotamia, now modern-day Iraq. This connection demonstrates a flourishing gaming tradition in the Near East, testifying to the popularity of board games in the daily life of ancient civilizations.
Researchers Sam Jelveh, a programmer from the University of Essex, and archaeologist Hossein Moradi undertook the task of reconstructing the game’s rules. Using analyses of preserved artifacts and computer modeling, they provided new insights into how this ancient game might have been played. “The suggested ancient rules do not introduce the original rules used on the [Shahr-i Sokhta] board but rather propose how the game might have been played, based on our understanding of the hypothetical rules of the Ur Game and the analysis of the [Shahr-i Sokhta] game pieces,” the researchers wrote in their paper, as reported by Science Alert.
The Shahr-i Sokhta game features three distinct phases that add complexity, making it slightly more advanced than the Ur game, which is simpler and can be more easily spread within a community. According to Science Alert, the researchers determined that there were two sets of 10 “runner” pieces—one set for each of the two players—as well as star-like pieces that act as “safe houses” and cone-like pieces that could have been used as “blockers.” This complexity gives the game a strategic dimension that, combined with the randomness of the dice, promises an engaging experience.
Testing their proposed rules with modern players, the researchers found that the Shahr-i Sokhta game offered a more strategic and less repetitive experience compared to the Royal Game of Ur. “It is a more strategic game, which makes it less repetitive and brings more tension and a sense of achievement to players,” the authors said, according to Newsweek. The rules received high ratings for originality and engagement, indicating the enduring appeal of ancient games.
Despite the uncertainty about the original name of the pastime—defined by archaeologists as “the game of the square winds”—the researchers acknowledged the limitations of their reconstruction. “Of course we can’t know for sure how this game was played—but the new rules match the board, the pieces, and the dice, and ranked well in terms of originality and replayability when tested with 50 modern players,” the researchers stated, as reported by Science Alert.
The restored game provides more than entertainment; it offers a window into the cultural practices of ancient societies. The existence of these games is a testament to the popularity of passing the time in this way, reflecting their enduring appeal and widespread use throughout different eras. “More than a hundred similar games from roughly the same period have been discovered in this region, varying in materials and details.”
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
