History of Backgammon
Backgammon is not only believed to be the oldest game in recorded history, but most modern table games we know and play today were in fact modeled after the game of backgammon. Until this very day, backgammon continues to enjoy tremendous popularity virtually all over the globe.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest documentation of the English word ‘backgammon' dates back to around 1650 and probably originates from the word ‘back' and the Middle English term ‘gamen,' which meant ‘game' and/or ‘play.'
BG's early years
Backgammon was born out of a version of a game that was originally played some 5,000 years ago in the city of Ur in Mesopotamia, which was once the area encompassing parts of modern day Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran. Ur is also recognised as the home of the biblical patriarch Abraham. Between 2900 and 1800 B.C., early civilisations such as the Sumerians inhabited these lands. The Sumerians are recognized for many outstanding scientific & cultural accomplishments, including the invention of the wheel.
Between the years 1922 & 1934, English archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley carried out numerous expeditions. One of which led to the discovery of treasures including the royal tombs at Ur. Among other things, the fantastic unearthing revealed the Sumerian culture at its pinnacle. Of the historic treasures found, a reference was made to "an in-laid gaming board." Four gaming boards were found in the tombs and are today considered to be the world's oldest backgammon boards.
Another version of backgammon dates back more than 1600 years. The Persians knew it as ‘Takh-teh Nard,' which means ‘Battle on Wood' and was introduced to Europeans by the Arab world. The board comprised 24 points, 30 checkers, plus a pair of dice. The early Egyptians played a form of backgammon called the 'Game of 30 Squares' and the Romans played a game known as Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum or 'the Game of 12 Lines,' and later referred to it as Tabula, which denotes a flat board or table.
Back gaming?
All through history, backgammon's been enjoyed by royals, aristocrats, and in many cultures - every other class of society. The name Backgammon became recognised around the mid 17th Century when the Saxons named it ‘back' & ‘gamen' because, when the checkers are ‘hit' - meaning they're removed temporarily from the game, these same checkers go "back" and re-enter the "game." In 1745, Edmond Hoyle, the famed English games writer codified the rules of backgammon and recommended a strategy which has been practiced now for over 200 hundred years.
Back(gammon) to the future
Between the late 1960s and early 1970s, backgammon experienced a tremendous surge in popularity. Even today the history of backgammon is undergoing yet another transformation as increasingly more online casinos are adding backgammon to their game lineups.
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