Discovery of thousand-year-old dice reveals ancient life
Sixty-four ancient dice pieces found in the city of Anartapura show that people at that time not only played games of chance but also associated them with religion and power.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•12/10/2025
Anartapura (or Anandapura) is a city mentioned in many ancient documents, the most famous of which is the epic Mahabharata, one of the two most important Sanskrit epics of ancient India (the other being the Ramayana). These two literary masterpieces contain a wealth of information about ancient gods, heroes and sacred places, and hold a special place in the hearts of the Indian people. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar. The known history of Anartapura dates back to 2,500 BC, and according to archaeological excavations, the settlement was once home to an ancient farming community. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar.
Some archaeologists believe that this ancient site was also one of the many sites of the Harappan civilization. These findings are based on artifacts found at the site, including pottery, textile fragments, ornaments, tools, etc. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar. Recently, at the ruins of the ancient city of Anartapura, two Indian archaeologists named Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar unexpectedly found 64 ancient dice but not of the same age. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar.
The older dice date from the 4th to 10th centuries BC, while the newer ones date from the 17th to 19th centuries AD. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar. Made from ivory, terracotta, bone and stone, most of the dice found are cubic or rectangular in shape. Concentric circles are engraved on the faces. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar.
This is evidence that such dice-based entertainment took place in a financially and militarily stable society, suggests that some societies in the ancient city of Anartapura may have experienced a period of stability and peace , says expert Ananya Chakraborty. Photo: @Ananya Chakraborty and Abhijit S Ambekar. Dear Readers, please watch the video : "Opening" the 3,000-year-old mummy of an Egyptian Pharaoh: "Shocking" real appearance and shocking secrets. Video source: @VGT TV - Life.
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