Long before Monopoly, Chess, and Draughts, even before Ajax and Achilles were depicted throwing dice on Greek vases, board games were played in the ancient world. During Sir Leonard Woolley’s excavation of the royal cemetery in the Mesopotamian city of Ur, between 1922 and 1934, five Royal Game of Ur boards were unearthed. Each were beautifully inlaid with plaques of shell surrounded by strips of lapis lazuli, and decorated with geometric and floral designs. Analysis dates the game to around 2600BCE.
Sam writes scifi thrillers & also historical fiction as Sam Taw. She's also the editor of the Historical Times interactive magazine. www.historicaltimes.org