Backgammon and its Ancient Past

In all documented world history of various games, Backgammon is known as the game that has far deeper roots in history than any other game presently noted. Considered to be the game of all ancient games, many historians believe that the backgammon game was played as far back as the golden era of the Persian Empire in ancient Mesopotamia which is the birthplace of Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The ancient board used during those times often had flat wooden surfaces, and the pieces were usually made of stone, and dice made from pebbles, clay, wood or even bones.

Various ancient manuscripts and archeological excavations and evidences would show that the backgammon game was always a game that is intertwined with rulers, kings, and the upperclassmen of early Persian culture, and was also found in ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and in Asia. The backgammon board had many varied square combinations like those that were found in Egypt where the game was known as the Game of Senat, or the Game of Thirty Squares. Most of the relics dated back to as far as 3000 BC. However, no concrete evidence can be found on the game's rules or game play. Around 2600 BC, there were boards that were made from wood and square dice were also found being used at that period. Such a game was then recognized as the Royal Game of Ur, which was found in the middle of Sumer where the royal tomb of Ur al Chaldees was located. The archeologists then found a headstone there that was probably made around about 177BC that contained hieroglyphic writing that described the game's rules and objectives.

Various artifacts would show that around the year 600 AD, the ancient Romans were believed to have been playing a game which they called Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum. This game was greatly influenced and based on the Senat game of Egypt. The roman version of this game was called the Game of Twelve Lines as it was made up of boards from leather and had thirty pointers in which fifteen of those were made of ebony, and the other fifteen pointers were made of ivory. Many believe that such a game was mainly played by rich people and people who had high positions in their particular society.

The variation of this game, known also as the Tabula, had spread to Britain from Rome during the Roman occupation. The Emperor Claudius was one of those men in powerful positions that played the game in their spare time. The game was then made as one of the first gambling games in the Roman Empire.

In the dawn of the sixth century, the game was then called Alea or the dice gambling art that was to be the basis for today's modern backgammon.