The rules were reconstructed by historians and suggest it was a race game, where players moved their pieces around the board according to dice rolls, aiming to get all their pieces to the end first. The Royal Game of Ur was likely more than just fun; it held religious significance and may have been connected to fate and the afterlife.
Ancient Egypt: Senet
Senet is arguably one of the most iconic ancient board games, played in Egypt as early as 3100 BCE. Senet boards have been found in tombs, including that of Tutankhamun, indicating its importance.
The game involved a grid of 30 squares arranged in three rows of ten, with two sets of pieces moving along a predetermined path. Players used sticks or knucklebones as dice to determine movement. Senet was believed to symbolize the journey of the soul through the afterlife, blending entertainment with spirituality.
Ancient India: Pachisi and Chess
India is the birthplace of Pachisi, known as the “national game of India,” dating back to the 6th century CE or earlier. Pachisi is a cross-and-circle game played on a cloth board shaped like a cross, using cowrie shells as dice. The game inspired many later versions worldwide, including Ludo.
India is also famously credited with the invention of early forms of chess, known as Chaturanga, around the 6th century CE. Chess later spread to Persia and the Islamic world, evolving into the game we recognize today. It was originally a game of war strategy, reflecting the battlefield with pieces representing infantry, cavalry, elephants, and chariots shutdown123