around the world in 80 plays
ARMENIA
Words by Chad Wilkinson
This month we’re up in the West Asian highlands to visit Armenia. Rich in history and notable for being the first state to officially adopt Christianity, Armenia would be a fascinating case study for a multitude of topics. But what about board games?
In 2018, whilst investigating a mound in western Armenia, archaeologists uncovered playing pieces dating back five thousand years. The area, believed to form part of an ancient trade route between Mesopotamia and Anatolia, has evidence of habitation predating seventh century BC. The stone pieces are strikingly beautiful, with detailed dice, smooth disks, cones, and pyramids, plus some surprisingly detailed figures depicting pigs and dogs. Similar pieces have been found in Iraq and Syria, and whilst experts presume the game to have been for four players based on the distribution of pieces, the rules remain unknown.