People are often surprised, firstly, at just how long board games have been played and secondly, how sophisticated they can be although, of course, their simplicity or complexity depended upon the circumstances in which they were played. What may astonish readers is that many of those games of the past were so popular that, though centuries old, they are still played and enjoyed today. This series of three articles covers roughly six thousand years of board game history. But is not comprehensive. The subject is too vast and the games too many. What these articles do provide is a light-hearted insight into the pursuits of our ancestors, and the similarities that connect the ancients playing their popular board games with
