HEAncient+games

 (BC) Senet- a board game in ancient Egypt, played by the ancient Egyptians, this is where the knuckle bone game originated, the knuckle bones were thrown to determine the next move. The object of game is to move the pieces around a snaking track to the finish landing on a number of marked squares representing good or bad fortune. Senet means “passing” it became so popular it took a religious significance. Twenty squares- A board game that came from Ancient Asia. Some boards have been found and it is known that the game was played by two players facing each other, using five pieces, though otherwise the rules of this games are now lost.

There were a few games that could be played by more then two people. In the game of "snake" (mehen), up to six people could play. It used a long field scratched out on the floor and stone pieces in the shape of dogs, lions and balls that were moved along it. In yet another game, pegs with their tops shaped into dogs, jackals and other animals were stuck into a row of 30 to 60 holes drilled into a board. Unfortunately, we don’t know much about the rules for any of these games.



Ladies of the Tang court playing double land (about 800 AD)

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