An ancient Roman gaming board in Jerusalem

LUDIC ARCHAEOLOGY: Ancestor of Checkers Found in Old City of Jerusalem. Carved into the city square by bored Roman soldiers, the identity of the strange game had been a mystery until an expert got involved (Ruth Schuster, Haaretz).

Actually all we have is the gaming board scratched into stone, presumably by idle Roman soldiers. But there has been lots of fun from efforts to identify the game.

UPDATE: Also, happy Thanksgiving to my American readers and those celebrating with them!

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