Archaeologists have uncovered several rock carvings of an ancient board game, believed to be over 4,000 years old, in Azerbaijan, potentially challenging long-held beliefs about the game’s origin in Egypt. The findings, published in the European Journal of Archaeology by researchers Walter Crist and Rahman Abdullayev, shed new light on the ancient game known as “Hounds and Jackals” or “58 Holes.”
Previously thought to have originated in Egypt, the game’s discovery at multiple archaeological sites in Azerbaijan suggests a different origin in southwestern Asia. According to the study, six-game boards bearing the distinctive pattern of holes used for peg-shaped playing pieces were found at various locations in modern-day Azerbaijan, including Çapmalı, Yenı Türkan, Dübəndi, and Ağdaşdüzü. These discoveries indicate the game was widely played across cultures, extending beyond Egypt to regions including the Levant, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Anatolia.
“The presence of these boards in Azerbaijan not only indicates that the region was connected to societies to the south but also demonstrates the game’s popularity across different socioeconomic groups,” the study notes. “Its supposed first appearance in Egypt is questioned in favor of a south-western Asian origin.”
The ancient game is played on a board featuring two parallel lines of tiny holes and an arc of 38 holes around them. Players navigate peg-shaped pieces through the holes, and the first to reach the end is declared the winner. The mechanics of “58 Holes” have been compared to the more modern game “Chutes and Ladders,” with players advancing or retreating based on their progress along the board.
The discovery of the game in Azerbaijan suggests that it likely spread through trade networks rather than military conquest. “The Abşeron Peninsula’s connection to exchange networks suggests that the game of fifty-eight holes spread through trade rather than conquest,” the study elaborates. It also notes that the game was adopted by a wide variety of people, from Middle Kingdom Egyptian nobility to cattle herders in the Caucasus and traders in Anatolia.
While this new finding challenges the Egyptian origin theory, the researchers acknowledge that more evidence is needed to fully determine the game’s true beginnings. “Whatever the origin of the game of fifty-eight holes, it was quickly adopted and played by a wide variety of people,” the study concludes.
The ongoing research into the origins and cultural transmission of this ancient game continues to highlight the interconnectedness of early civilizations and their shared pastimes.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
