backgammon enthusiasm

Tracing the Roots of Backgammon

The game of backgammon has an enduring and wonderful history which can be traced back more than five thousand years ago, which stamps its place in the record books as one of the oldest games in history. The most ancient backgammon board, derived from an older version of backgammon, was discovered somewhere around 3000 B.C. in the royal tomb of Ur of the Chaldees somewhere in southern Mesopotamia (now called Iraq), which is regarded as the birthplace of Abraham.

The game has long been played across the globe and throughout noted history. An early form of backgammon was enjoyed and played by the pharaohs of Egypt; early forms of backgammon boards which date back 1500 B.C. were excavated in the tomb of King Tut's. Wall paintings in the tombs of many Egyptians depicted people playing the game of backgammon, signifying that the game was a favorite among the commoners as well as the ruling pharaohs. About a thousand years hence, the Greeks were likewise playing a variation of the game. Great Greek personalities made mention of the game of backgammon in some of their works.

In ancient Roman civilization, backgammon was still very popular among the aristocrats. Emperor Claudius was believed to have written a book focusing on the game of backgammon.

The excavators from Pompeii discovered a backgammon table in the patio of nearly every villa. Many of the early variations were well-known in Britain, starting from the time of the Crusades. Its popularity among the English people never wavered. There was a belief that the modern version of backgammon originated during the tenth century. In the United States, the game of backgammon started to be played beginning in the seventeenth century.

But, the doubling cube was incorporated in the game of backgammon during the 1920s by an unknown inventor. This drastically boosted the quality of the game of backgammon and strengthened its popularity in the United States. The game saw another influx of interest at the dawn of the 1970s, but decreased in popularity recently because of the introduction of video and computer games.

When the game of backgammon is played with the appropriate personnel and strategy, it can become an amazing and obsessive game for everybody. Hopefully, attraction in the game of backgammon will become higher in the coming years. When more people realize the many aspects of backgammon, it will revitalize its status as one of the more popular games.