User:Samjelveh110/sandbox

Shahr-i Sokhta Board Game

The Shahr-i Sokhta board game is a two-player strategy race board game, part of the Game of Twenty Squares, that was played in the early third millennium BC in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, the southeastern part of Iran, on the bank of the Helmand River, near the Zahedan-Zabol road. It was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in June. The game gained popularity across the Middle East, and approximately 150 similar ancient intellectual games with different patterns, shapes, and materials such as wood, clay, and stone have been discovered in the region.

In the ancient times, intellectual games of twenty squares were of interest to people from various cultures, and it was not specific to one particular culture. A significant discovery related to this ancient game was made in the ancient cemetery of Shahr-i Sokhta in Sistan, specifically within grave number 731. This discovery represents the oldest complete board game ever found, dating back approximately 4,600 to 4,700 years. What distinguishes the Shahr-i Sokhta game is that it is the earliest known example of a 20-square game with a complete set.

The game comprises 27 geometric pieces and includes 4 different dice. Its variants and rules differ when compared to the royal game of Ur. The entire discovered game set has been reconstructed, providing valuable insights into the ancient gaming practices of the region.