"A Boeotian die in context: some preliminary observations". Organised by B. Carè, V. Dasen & U. Schaedler, XXI Board Game Studies Colloquium, 23-26.04.2018, Benaki Museum - Italian School of Archaeology at Athens. (original) (raw)

Abstract The present paper sketches a preliminary presentation of a die in its archaeological context, which is no other than a rich grave in the region of Boeotia. It further attempts to understand with what other items this gaming piece coexisted and why, as well as who was the person who played with it during lifetime. The Boeotian die to be presented is made of clay. In contrast to other terracotta dice from this period in the Greek mainland ours is not a hollow but a solid cube, whose edges and corners are damaged perhaps due to use-life. It further presents a peculiarity in its numbering system, for the face normally bearing six dots features twenty five instead. The date of the die in the Archaic period can be established from its associated grave-group which comprises 42 local and imported vases, metal items and minor objects. Although several dice among other gaming pieces are known from antiquity, undisturbed contexts of the Archaic period are few. Some dice have been unearthed in Attic burials (in association with gaming boards) while none is known from the region of Boeotia, hence the significance of this discovery.