Games in the Ancient World: Places, Spaces, Accessories.

Games in the Ancient World: Places, Spaces, Accessories explores of the history of games and their accompanying equipment in Classical antiquity and beyond through the material evidence starting from a series of case studies fostered by the ERC project Locus Ludi (#741520) or presented at conferences organized by the ERC Locus Ludi. Drawing together a diverse array of case studies, the papers in this volume shed light on the cultural practices surrounding games across different regions and time periods. Spanning from Pharaonic Egypt to Roman Britain and the early medieval Celtic fringe, the case studies emphasize the geographical and chronological breadth of gaming habits in the ancient world. Despite the abundance of evidence, the extant materials often remain fragmented and scattered, overshadowed by modern Western perceptions of games as trivial pastimes. By unravelling the complexities of ancient ludic practices, this work underscores the intersection of games with social, cultural, and religious life in antiquity, offering a fresh perspective on a hitherto neglected aspect of human history.