Recently, I read an article on
CNET about an ancient d20 die which was found in Egypt and is now kept in the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. The die is slightly larger than the regular dice we use for board games and table top RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. It is made of serpentine, a green mineral and is believed to have originated between 200 BC and 400 AD in Greece due to the Greek symbols shown on its faces.
Driven by curiosity, I researched when dice started being used and why. Apparently, ancient cultures used dice to determine one's fate, who was right or wrong, or even who was favoured by the gods or not. Games of chance were then designed and evidence of these games have been found dating back 2100 BC.
I looked for some other ancient dice to see the different styles of dice our ancestors used for games, political and religious debates alike. Here are just a few dice which caught my eye.
Roman Dice
Egyptian Die
Names of Gods instead of numbers
Unknown Origin
(Greek and Roman Antiquities Department at the
British Museum)
