top of page

Game Pieces

 

Scroll down the page for further information about each image. Click on each image to bring up a full sized picture (some of the images on this page are cropped). You can right click on each image and save using 'save background as'.
 

​​
Dice Roller (Replica)

 

Date: around 367 AD.

Place: Froitzheim, North Rhein [Germany]

 

The inscription on the front of the dice roller reads: 'The Picts, a tribe folk are defeated. Destroyed the enemies, play safely.'

 

Photographed at the Limesmuseum, Aalen, Germany.

 

 

 

​​
Lion Shaped Game Piece

 

Date: 2875 BC (Late dynasty 1)

Place: Egypt

 

Made from elephant ivory

 

Photographed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

 

​​
Bone Knucklebones

Date: 2000 - 1800 BC

Place: Shusin Temple, Tell Asmar

 

Ceramic Playing Pieces

Date: 2330 - 2150 BC

Place: Residential neighbourhood of Tell Asmar

 

Ceramic Dice

Date: 2330 - 2150 BC

Place: Khafajah

 

Photographed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

 

​​
Knucklebones

 

Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.

Dice

 

Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.

 

 

It is likely that the Roman soldiers used dice to gamble for Jesus clothes at the foot of the cross (Luke 23:34).

 

​​
Dice and Game Pieces

 

Date: None given

Place: Korgen & Bobingen

 

Made from glass and bone

 

Photographed at the Limesmuseum, Aalen, Germany.

 

​​
Knucklebones, Game Pieces & Dice

 

Date: 1st century AD

Place: Pompeii

 

Made from wood, lead, bronze and bone.

 

Photographed at the Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany.

 

​​
Glass Game Pieces

 

Date: 1st century AD

Place: From tomb of a young woman, North of Rome.

 

Photographed at the Altes Museum, Berlin, Germany.

 

​​
Inscribed Ivory Game Pieces

 

1) MALE (E)ST:  'bad luck'

2) VICTOR

3) NUGATOR: 'Trifler'

 

Photographed at the British Museum, London, England. 

 

​​
Counters Inscribed with Numerals

 

1) Rock Crystal marked XV IE

2) Rock Crystal marked IIII 'delta'

3) Obsidian marked XIIII

4) Rock Crystal marked XIIII

 

Said to be from Pompeii

 

Photographed at the British Museum, London, England. 

bottom of page