Ancient board game from Poprad is only one of two in the world

The second one has been discovered in Egypt.

The ancient wooden board game from Poprad is only of the two of its kind in the world. The ancient wooden board game from Poprad is only of the two of its kind in the world. (Source: RTVS)

The ancient wooden board game discovered in the tomb of a Germanic prince in Poprad in 2006 is one of two ancient board games found in the world to date, as reported by the SITA newswire.

“One was found in Egypt and the latter in Poprad,” said the deputy of director of the Archaeological Institute in Nitra, Karol Pieta, as quoted by SITA. He also led the research in Poprad.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

Similar games were found on the floor of Greek and Roman temples or on the streets of ancient towns. However, they were engraved into the stone unlike the wooden and portable one discovered in Poprad.

SkryťTurn off ads

Rules of the ancient board game

Years after the board game was found in eastern Slovakia, Slovak archaeologists asked ancient games expert Ulrich Schädler from Switzerland to explain the rules of this 1,600-year-old game.

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

The Dočasný Kultúrny Priestor venue in Petržalka.

Picking up where others left.


Katarína Jakubjaková
New projects will change the skyline of Bratislava.

Among the established names are some newcomers.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
SkryťClose ad