Archaeological discoveries link hounds and jackals to early cultural exchange

The Independent highlights that the ancient board game "Hounds and Jackals" popular in ancient Egypt, likely originated in southwestern Asia. 

Archaeologists have discovered rock carvings of the game dating back to around 2000 BC in present-day Azerbaijan, indicating its early adoption among local cattle herders. This timeframe aligns with the earliest known example of the game, found in the tomb of an Egyptian official who lived between 2064 and 1952 BC. Researchers noted that certain games were regionally popular during antiquity, implying they played a role in connecting cultures that frequently interacted.

They argue that the game known as "fifty-eight holes" likely served this function during the second millennium BCE in both Egypt and southwestern Asia, as it was the only game widely played across the region. This two-player game, which features pieces shaped like a jackal or a hound's head, is played on a board with holes designed for peg-shaped pieces. 

The board consists of two parallel lines of ten holes in the center and an arc of thirty-eight holes surrounding them, totaling fifty-eight holes. Some of these holes are distinctly marked or connected by lines. Players move their pieces along a track to determine who reaches the end first, similar to games like Snakes and Ladders or Ludo.

Variations of this game have been popular for over 1,000 years, spanning from the Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age. So far, 70 boards have been discovered across a wide area that includes Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Anatolia, indicating it was "widely played from very early on." Recently, archaeologists have found six additional board designs at various sites in Azerbaijan—three at Agdasduzu and one each at Capmali, Yeni Turkan, and Dubandi. 

These sites have been roughly dated, with the Agdasduzu boards likely belonging to the second millennium BC, while the other three could date from the latter part of the third millennium BC to the first half of the second millennium. The latest research, published in the European Journal of Archaeology, supports the idea that the game first emerged in southwestern Asia rather than in Egypt. 

Researchers suggest that the Caspian coast was culturally linked to a broader region through this game, highlighting its popularity "across cultures and socioeconomic groups." “Regardless of the game's origin, it was quickly embraced by a diverse range of people—from the nobility of Middle Kingdom Egypt to the cattle herders of the Caucasus, and from Old Assyrian traders in Anatolia to the laborers who constructed Middle Kingdom pyramids,” the scientists noted. They emphasised that the rapid spread of this game illustrates how games can serve as social connectors, facilitating interactions across different social boundaries.

By Naila Huseynova