Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T17:17:40.877Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Roman Game Boards from Abu Sha’ar (Red Sea Coast, Egypt)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2015

Lynda Mulvin  and
Steven E. Sidebotham
Lynda Mulvin
Affiliation:
History of Art Department, John Henry Newman Building, University College Dublin, Belfield Campus, Dublin 4. Ireland
Steven E. Sidebotham
Affiliation:
University of Delaware, Department of History, 236 John Munroe Hall, 46 W. Delaware Ave. Newark, DE 19716-2547, USA
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The discovery of twenty game boards – including some in a dedicated den or gaming room – in the late Roman fort at Abu Sha’ar, on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, conjures up images of daily life at a well established, but remote Roman military station. Here, during the long hot days and cool nights, soldiers no doubt played board games and gambled incessantly. This paper describes the boards, the likely games played on them and the areas of the fort where they were played.

Keywords

RomanEgyptboard games
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 78 , Issue 301 , September 2004 , pp. 602 - 617
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2004

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Austin, R.G. 1934. Roman Board Games I, in Greece and Rome 4: 24–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Austin, R.G. 1935. Roman Board Games Ii, in Greece and Rome 4: 76–82 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bagnall, R.S. & Sheridan, J.A.. 1994a. Greek and Latin Documents from ‘Abu Sha’ar, 1990–1991. Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 31: 159–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Balambal, V. 2002. Pallankuzhi, a traditional boardgame of women in Tamilnadu, in Retschitzki, J. and Haddad-Zubel, R. (eds), Step by Step, Proceedings of the 4th Colloquium Board Games in Academia. Fribourg: Editions Universitaires: 49–57.Google Scholar
Baltzer, M. 1983 Die Alltagsdarstelleungen der treverischen Grabdenkmäler. Trierer Zeitschrift 46: 7–151.Google Scholar
Bedon, R. 1989. Les Jeux société chez les Romaines. Archeologia 246: 58–64.Google Scholar
Bell, R.C. 1979. Board and Table Games From Many Civilisations. London, New York: Oxford University Press, revised edition.Google Scholar
Becq De Fouquières, L. 1873. Les Jeux des Anciens: leur description, leur origine, leur rapports avec la religion l’histoire les arts et les mouers. Paris: Didier et cie.Google Scholar
Costello, M.J. 1991. The Greatest Games of all Time. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.Google Scholar
De Voogt, A.J. (ed.). 1995. New Approaches to Board Games Research: Asian origins and future perspectives, in Working Papers Series 3, International Institute for Asian Studies: Leiden (Leiden).Google Scholar
ElSaghir, M., Golvin, J.-C. Reddé, M., ElSayed, H. & Wagner, G.. 1986. Le camp romain de Louqsor (avec une étude des graffites gréco-romains du temple d’Amon) (MIFAO 83). Cairo: Ifao.Google Scholar
Falkener, E. 1892. Games Ancient And Oriental And How To Play Them: Being The Games Of The Greek, The Ludus Latrunculorum Of The Roman And The Oriental Games Of Chess Draughts, Backgammon And Magic Squares. London, New York: Longmans, Green and Co.Google Scholar
Faton, A. 1992. Jeux et Jouets dans l’Antiquité et au Moyen Age. Dossiers d’Archéologie 168: 174–185.Google Scholar
Grunfeld, F. W. 1975. Games of the World. Austin, Texas: Holt Rinehart and Winston.Google Scholar
Hanel, N. 1997. Sonderkeramik in der Militärziegelei? Zu einer Tabula Lusoria mit Mühlespiel und Legionsstempel. Kölner Jahrbuch 30: 317–320.Google Scholar
Isaac, B. 1992. The Limits of Empire. The Roman Army in the East. Oxford: Clarendon Press, revised edition.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, A.H.M. 1964. The Later Roman Empire 284–602. A Social, Economic and Administrative Survey. 2 volumes. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press.Google Scholar
Kondoleon, C. 2000. Antioch: the Lost Ancient City. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press in association with the Worcester Art Museum.Google Scholar
Lane, E. W. 1908. Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. London: Dent.Google Scholar
Marquardt, J. & Momessen, T.. 1893. Manuel des Antiquités romaines: Vie Privé des Romaines 2. Paris: E. Thoirn & A. Fontemoing.Google Scholar
May, R. 1991. Les jeux de table en Grèce et à Rome. Jouer dans l’antiquité. Catalogue of the Exhibition at Marseille 1991/92. Paris and Marseilles, Réunion des musées nationaux: 166–189.Google Scholar
May, R. 1992. Les jeux de table dans l’antiquité. Dossiers d’Archéologie 168: 18–35.Google Scholar
Murray, H.J.R. 1952. A History of Board Games other than Chess. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Parlett, D. 1999. The Oxford History of Board Games. Oxford University Press: 208–223.Google Scholar
Retschitzki, J. & Haddad-Zubel, R. (eds). 2002. Step by Step, Proceedings of the 4th Colloquium Board Games in Academia. Fribourg: Éditions Universitaires.Google Scholar
Rieche, A. 1984. Römische Kinder- und Gesellschaftsspiele. Aalen: Zweigmuseum des Württemburgischen Landesmuseum.Google Scholar
Roueché, C. 1993. Performers and Partisans at Aphrodisias. Journal of Roman Studies Monograph 6, Appendix 5: 249–55.Google Scholar
Roueché, C. & Bell, R.C.. 1990. Pavement signs and gameboards in the Greek and Roman periods: a British Museum Typology (unpublished catalogue, British Museum): 1–13.Google Scholar
Roueché, C. 1990. Late Roman and Byzantine Gameboards at Aphrodisias (unpublished typescript at the British Museum): 1–14.Google Scholar
Schädler, U. 1999. Damnosa Alea, Würfelspiel in Griechenland und Rom. in 5000 jahre Würfelspiel, Catalogue of the Exhibition, Homo Ludens supplement, Salzburg: 39–58.Google Scholar
Schädler, U. 1998. Mancala in Roman Asia Minor. Board Games Studies 1: 10–25.Google Scholar
Schädler, U. 1995. Xii Scripta, Alea Tabula – new evidence for the Roman history of Backgammon, in de Voogt, A.J. (ed.), New Approaches to Board Games Research (Leiden): 73–98.Google Scholar
Schädler, U. 1994. Latrunculi, ein verlorenes strategisches Brettspiel der Römer, – Homo Ludens Iv (Internationale Beiträge des Institutes für Spielforschung und Spielpädagogik an der Hochschule ‘Mozarteum’ Salzburg): 47–67.Google Scholar
Schädler, U. 1994. Ein Volk von Müssigängern und Faulenzern. Spielbox 5: 54–57.Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1989. Lure of the Desert Road. Archaeology (July/August): 58–60.Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1991. University of Delaware Archaeological Project at ‘Abu Sha’ar, The 1990 Season. American Research Center in Egypt Newsletter 153 (spring): 1–6.Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1992a. Roman Fort on the Red Sea Coast. Minerva 3,2 (March/April: 5–8.Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1992b. The 1991 Season of Archaeological Fieldwork at ‘Abu Sha’ar (Red Sea Coast), Egypt Conducted by the University of Delaware. Archaeological News 17, 1–4: 31–34 Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1993. University of Delaware Archaeological Project at ‘Abu Sha’ar: The 1992 Season.’ American Research Center in Egypt Newsletter 161/162: 1–9.Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1994a. Preliminary Report on the 1990–1991 Seasons of Fieldwork at ‘Abu Sha’ar (Red Sea Coast). Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 31: 133–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1994b. University of Delaware Fieldwork in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, 1993. Dumbarton Oaks Papers 48: 263–275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E. 1999. ‘Abu Sha’ar, in Bard, K.A., ed., Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt (London-New York: Routledge): 84–87.Google Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E., Riley, J.A.A Hamroush, H. & Barakat, H.. 1989. Fieldwork on the Red Sea Coast: The 1987 Season. Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt 26: 127–166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sidebotham, S.E., Zitterkopf, R.E. & Riley, J.A.. 1991. Survey of the ‘Abu Sha’ar-Nile Road. The American Journal of Archaeology 95, 4: 571–622.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Southern, P. & Dixon, K.R.. 1996. The Late Roman Army. London: B.T. Batsford, Ltd.Google Scholar
Steiner, P. 1939. Römisches Brettspiel und Spielgerät aus Trier. Saalburg Jahrbucher 9: 34–45.Google Scholar
Troisi Ferandini, F. 1997. Un gioco da tavola a Taranto. Epigraphica 59: 225–229.Google Scholar
Van Berchem, D. 1952. L’Armée de Dioclétien et la réforme constantinienne. Institut français d’Archéologie de Beyrouth. Bibliothèque archéologique et historique, vol. Lvi (Paris).Google Scholar