Scientists have solved the mystery of "Game of death" in Egypt, it was used to communicate with the world beyond the grave
Popular in Ancient Egypt Board game "Senet" or "game of death" was popular among all sections of society about 5 thousand years ago. A group of scientists from Maastricht University has reviewed it and made a new discovery.
A group of archeologists led by Walter Krist from Maastricht University found in the collections of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (USA) the earliest version of the Board game of the ancient Egyptians called Senet, and described its rules and purpose.
The game "Senet" played in all segments of Egyptian society since its inception 5000 years ago. She lost her popularity only after a long 2500 years. According to the rules, it was like modern backgammon, and all this time, it was considered a simple form of entertainment.
Recently, however, scientists have discovered another purpose of "game of death". 700 years after it was played for the first time, the game acquired spiritual component — according to ancient texts and symbols on the game Board, the game assumed a deep connection with the world beyond the grave.
"Senet" in fact came to be regarded as the path through which the dead can communicate with the living. Ancient texts later years describe the game as a reflection of the passage of the soul through the duat, the Egyptian realm of the dead.
In mythology, duat is the place where the souls of the dead were judged "weighing of the heart". Those who passed this test, move on to the heavenly Paradise AARU, also called the "field of reeds".
For centuries, the game has undergone some changes — for example, to place some empty squares began to draw the characters and images of birds that indicates the relationship of the soul to the afterlife.
Archaeologist Walter Crist from Maastricht University (Netherlands) believes that "game of death", stored in the collection of the Egyptian Museum in San Jose, USA — one of the first examples of the game where there were the other characters.
The expert believes that this Board is used around 3,500 years ago. He also notes that the squares are arranged atypical for traditional games — starting square is located, where there is usually the finish line, and Vice versa. This style is unique to the period of the Middle Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. The artifact according to archaeologists, were sold in the market of antiquities in the nineteenth century.
Keywords: Artifact archaeology | The game