The Games of the Population of Byzantine Taurica (According to the Archeological Sources)

Abstract

Games were a popular form of leisure activities in Byzantium. The aim of this article is to reconstruct the complex of games practiced by the population of Byzantine Taurica. The source base comprises of items of gaming equipment excavated at the Byzantine towns of the Crimea. Following to the nature of the gameplay, the games are divided into three groups: tactical, gambling, games of dexterity. The first group includes chess and board games, the Nine Men’s Morris, in particular. The second group includes games with six-sided dice and four astragali. The third group consists of two more games with astragali: knucklebones and πεντέλιθα. The games, archaeologically documented in the Byzantine towns of the Crimea, are typical for the entire territory of the empire and adjacent territories.