1895.9.18

Collection type

Object

Description

Ancient Greek astragal for game of knucklebones [N.B. 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 4/3/2005]

Geographical reference

Italy

Europe > Southern Europe > Italy

Puglia [Apulia] Provincia di Taranto Taranto Murare [Muri] Vetere

Person

Field collector Henry Balfour

PRM source Henry Balfour

Date / Period

Archaeological period: Ancient Greek Archaeological period: Iron Age

Date collected

By 1895

Acquisition information

Donated: 1895

Materials and processes

Material Bone

Dimensions

Length: max 31 mm

Object numbers

Accession number: 1895.9.18

Research and responses

Veteres means 'old', and I believe that Murare/Muri means 'wall' or something similar. Balfour may be referring to the old city walls/defences of Taranto where excavations seem to have been underway in 1895 [see page 292 of the 1896 issue of The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts, accessible online at http://www.archive.org/details/americanjournalo11archuoft]. [MN 14/08/2009]

Associated publications

This object was featured in the Museum's on-line fact sheet ‘Games’ produced during the DCF-funded 'What's Upstairs?' project, 2004–2006. [BR 'DCF 2004-2006 What's Upstairs?' 8/11/2005] This object was featured in the Museum’s ‘web gallery’ (‘Selected Objects from the Lower Gallery’) produced during the DCF-funded ‘What’s Upstairs?’ project, 2004–2006, with the following caption: 'Knucklebones, also known as jacks, was played in ancient Greece and Rome. It involved throwing knucklebone-shaped sheep anklebones into the air and catching as many as possible on the back of the hand. Ancient Greek knucklebones, or astragali, was a popular game amongst young women and children

Search terms: Toy and Game, Gaming Piece