Determining the age of the game boards proves difficult because they are carved into rocks that are 400 million years old.
In Kenya, archaeologist Veronica Waweru of Yale University discovered an “arcade” of ancient mancala game boards carved into rocks. It was reported by Arkeonews.
The recent discovery comes after reports of tourists removing prehistoric hand axes from a private conservation area.
After receiving permission, the researcher entered the reserve and noticed a series of shallow holes drilled into a rocky outcrop. Some of them have become spots due to erosion. Others are quite deep. The different degrees of erosion of the pits indicate that they were created at different times.
This finding led the archeologist to assume that the ancients used them to play the mancala.
“This valley is full of game boards, like an ancient arcade. Due to the erosion of some of the boards, I believe that people played there a long time ago,” he said.
According to the researcher, the exact age of the game boards is difficult to determine because they are carved into 400-million-year-old stone. Wawer said DNA analysis of material found in the mounds could indicate how the people buried there were related to modern humans.
The site also contains 19 tombs, built by pastoral communities that inhabited the region 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists believe that these objects may be connected to each other.
It should be noted that Mancala comes from the Arabic word Naqala, which means “moving.” In the Mancala game, users “sow” and “take” seeds. Examples of this game have been found in Egyptian ruins dating back to 1400 BC. – carved on the roofs of temples in Memphis, Thebes and Luxor.
Although the game of Mancala dates back thousands of years, it is still popular in the Middle East and Africa.
According to researchers, the oldest mancala board was discovered at the Neolithic site of Ain Ghazal in Jordan and dates back to around 5870 BC.
It was previously reported that in Luoyang’s Mengjin district, archaeologists discovered three well-preserved tombs belonging to a family of high social status.
Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.