A team of researchers has unearthed a nearly 1,000-year-old collection of medieval gaming artifacts, including a rare and exceptionally well-preserved chess piece, game tokens, and dice. These finds...
Patolli, an ancient game of strategy and chance, once captivated the minds and hearts of Mesoamerica. It is one of the oldest games known in the Americas, with evidence for it being found in cultures...
The Circus Maximus , a sprawling amphitheater nestled between the Palatine Palace and the Aventine Hill, epitomized the grandeur of ancient Roman entertainment . Originally a venue for celebratory...
Peter J. Miller /The Conversation “I am the greatest. I said that even before I knew I was. I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I was really the greatest.” This quote...
Ancient times were not all about warfare, survival, politics or arduous work. No, our distant ancestors knew how to have fun as well, and to enjoy their free time. That is why board games have been...
In the dynamic tapestry of human leisure and recreation, board games have carved an enduring niche, evolving through millennia from ancient pastimes to modern phenomena. This article embarks on a...
These days, Monopoly is a childhood staple, as kids worldwide learn to buy properties and then push friends into bankruptcy by charging exorbitant rent in order to emerge victorious. It’s the...
In Ancient Greece, there was a special emphasis placed on sports and physical prowess. After all, this civilization gave birth to the famed Olympics, which still exist today. From spear throwing,...
Next time you’re playing a board game with your friends and family, consider that you may be playing something that originated in the medieval era, or beyond. Archaeologists have made a fascinating...
In the English-speaking world, the word ‘tarot’ is most commonly associated with the occult and divination. It is one of the oldest forms of fortune telling, although its origins are somewhat obscure...
Archaeologists in Sweden have discovered a Viking Age burial with bear claws and two swords that look to have served as grave markers. The two Viking Age swords were found by archaeologists...
Scientists in Israel have discovered ancient animals' knucklebones used to foretell the future and as a form of spiritual protection in the wild and unpredictable ancient world. They were also the...
Despite its modern popularity, not many know that backgammon is actually one of the oldest board games known to man. The story of backgammon stretches back 5,000 years and around the globe, spanning...
Coming in an infinite number of shapes and colors, seashells have been used as a medium of exchange for centuries in a variety of locations, such as many Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean islands, as...
Mainstream history would have you believe the modern game of golf originated in 15th-century Scotland. Golf's first major, and the world's oldest tournament in existence, was The Open Championship (...
History is naturally captivating, filled with mind-boggling plot twists and all the elements that make for fantastic fiction. Or at least, history can be captivating when, and only when, it is taught...
When most people think of the sport rugby, Tonga is not at the top of the list of competitors. But the island nation of the south Pacific appears to have had its own ancient version of the game with...
Like in Greece, pre-historic Irish history was threaded together with tales of giants, gods and goddesses battling for supremacy over earth, and humans. But did you know it was the latter, not the...
Public order in ancient Rome was a priority for the elite, who contrived a range of gruesome punishments for purportedly serious crimes deserving the death penalty. As a result, a day of fun and...
The Panathenaic Stadium is a historical monument located in Athens, Greece . Although the current structure was only built at the end of the 1800s, the current stadium was built on a site once...
Ouija boards—also called spirit boards or talking boards—have been part of various cultures long before the introduction of the "game" in the 19th century. "Ouija", in fact, is the name of the game...
Do you think that today’s mad-dash grab for the hottest toys is just a phenomenon of modern times? Not necessarily. In the past as in the present, where we find children, we find toys, as shown by...
Amphitheaters, with their gladiators, executions, and macabre contests, have fascinated people for millennia. They have featured in countless novels, books, and video games. One of the best-preserved...
Researchers believe that they have found the oldest balls ever uncovered in Eurasia. The set of leather balls were found in graves of Central Asian horse riders in northern China. They are offering...