How Archaeologists Reconstructed the World’s Oldest Board Games

How Archaeologists Reconstructed the World’s Oldest Board Games

Archaeologists are using AI, artifacts, and historical texts to reconstruct the rules of ancient board games like Senet and the Royal Game of Ur.

Ancient board games offer a glimpse into how people once played, strategized, and socialized across civilizations. Researchers are piecing together rules from artifacts, texts, and AI models from Egypt’s spiritual Senet to Mesoamerica’s gambling-focused Patolli. These rediscovered games show that the desire to compete, connect, and pass time has spanned millennia—and still echoes in how we play today.

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