Iranian archeologists working on
the relics of the 5,000-year-old civilization argue this
backgammon is much older than the one already discovered in
Mesopotamia and their evidence is strong enough to
claim the board game was first played in the Burnt City and then
transferred to other civilizations.
"The backgammon reveals intriguing
clues to the lifestyle of those people," said Mansour Sajjadi,
head of the research team.
"The board is rectangular and made
of ebony, which did not grow in Sistan and merchants used to
import it from India."
He added the board features an
engraved serpent coiling around itself for 20 times, thus
producing 20 slots for the game, more affectionately known in
Persian as Nard. The engraving, artistically done, indicates
artisans in the Burnt City were masters of the
craft. "The 60 pieces were also unearthed inside a terracotta
vessel beside the board. They were made of common stones
quarried in the city, including agate and turquoise," Sajjadi
added.
Experts still wonder why they
played the game with 60 pieces and are trying to discern its
rules, but it at least shows it is 100-200 years older than the
one discovered in Mesopotamia.
They are also intrigued that
inhabitants of ancient civilizations, widely believed to be
concerned with their daily survival, could afford to indulge in
such luxuries as playing board games.
