Lindisfarne small finds
Type:
Game pieces
Date:
Eighth or ninth century
Location or Findspot (Modern-Day Country):
United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Approximately 1.5 cm in diameter
Description:
This blue and white glass gaming piece, made to look like a miniature crown, was probably used in a group of games known as tafl games, which were related to a Roman war game called Ludus latrunculorum ("game of brigands" or "game of mercenaries"). During the Middle Ages, such games were played in the British Isles and Scandinavia. This piece was discovered in 2019 during a community-based dig at Lindisfarne led by DigVentures and Durham University. The dig also uncovered a contemporary necklace of beads (possibly prayer beads) made of salmon vertebrae, hung around the neck of a buried man.
Relevant Textbook Chapter(s):
4,
5
Repository and Online Resources:
• Read more about the gaming piece and DigVentures.
• Interact with the gaming piece as a 3D model.
Image Credits:
DigVentures and Durham University; Linda Safran
