
1,700-Year-Old Board Game Found in Norwegian Burial Mound - quidsentio
https://www.lifeinnorway.net/archaeologists-find-roman-iron-age-board-game-in-norway/
======
JoeDaDude
Don't know what drove them to say it is an early form of Hnefatafl, other than
that both are games played on a board. Hnefatafl games (there are several [1])
are pure strategy open information games using different pieces with different
moves. This discovery is of a game played with dice and apparently identical
pieces. There are no pictures of the board. so I can only speculate about it,
but my guess would be this game is probably a race game, perhaps a distant
relative of backgammon.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafl_games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafl_games)

~~~
scottlocklin
It's actually not clear at all what the rules are for Tafl. Linnaeus
instructions are suggestive, but certainly wrong/incomplete and people think
stuff like Fetlar rules are probably close, but we really don't know.

------
dang
We changed the URL from
[https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/05/1700-yea...](https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2020/05/1700-year-
old-board-game-found-in.html) to one that is almost identical but has more
information. Is archaeologynewsnetwork a blogspam site? Or was this a case of
both articles working off some press release?

~~~
quidsentio
I honestly don't know. I just posted the one I encountered. But after some
googling, this seems to be the original source:
[https://www.uib.no/en/culturalhistory/135652/gaming-roman-
ir...](https://www.uib.no/en/culturalhistory/135652/gaming-roman-iron-age)

~~~
ngold
Great link. I like the four sided stick dice.

------
ChuckMcM
Expecting the Hasbro/Parker Games DMCA take down notice at any time :-)

More seriously, I think it is pretty interesting that board games would be the
thing that meant this person was automatically considered aristocracy and
upper class because they had board games buried with them. Today of course
someone with a lot of board games or a love for them is often just considered
a nerd. Perhaps nerds ruled Norway at the time. That's an interesting thought
too.

~~~
drewcoo
I believe the ancient Egyptian aristos had their nerds buried with them.

------
andrewstuart
The instruction booklet is ALWAYS missing when you find on old board game you
want to play.

------
spiritplumber
It's a prototype, but don't worry, the Kickstarter backers should have theirs
within the year.

------
peter_d_sherman
Thoughts of Jumanji come to mind... "Don't open the ancient Norweigian burial
mound!" <g>

No, but on a serious note:

>“These are status objects that testify to contact with the Roman Empire,
where they liked to enjoy themselves with board games."

and:

>"People who played games like this were local aristocracy or upper class. The
game showed that you had the time, profits and ability to think
strategically,” said Ramstad."

Fascinating! Makes sense, too...

------
kwhitefoot
Dice, not dices!

~~~
je_bailey
unless you are referring to multiple sets of distinct dice.

------
legends2k
The long dice would be familiar to most Tamils though, not unusual at all.

[https://tamil.boldsky.com/img/2020/01/1-dayakattai-157828523...](https://tamil.boldsky.com/img/2020/01/1-dayakattai-1578285237.jpg)

------
pvaldes
> they found a set of roman dice for a game

mono-polis?

------
say_it_as_it_is
It was Diplomacy. They still haven't finished the game.

~~~
condesising
Very nice observation

------
aksss
Not in original packaging?? Worthless!

