This is the board game of Senet.
For hundreds of years, Egyptians have played games to pass the time away. Archaeologists have found some of these games, such as Senet, Mancala (Kalaha), Hounds and Jackals, and the Royal game of Ur.
The most favorite game of the Egyptians was Senet. Senet was played with two players. The board contains thirty squares arranged in three straight rows of ten. Each player threw marked sticks (used the same as dice) to advance along the board. The object was to reach the finish before his or her opponent.
Another game was Mancala. It is also played today because of the popularity of the game. It is also call Kalaha. Mancala is played with two players on a board. The board contains six pits and one for scoring (kalaha) for each player. Each of the six pits has three seeds. One player picks a pit to distribute them one by one moving counter-clockwise around the board. Seeds placed in kalaha are points. Seeds are not placed in opponent's kalaha. If the last seed lands on an empty pit on your side, you "capture" seeds on opposite side. It is then your opponent's turn. The winner is the one with the most seeds (points).
Another game was Hounds and Jackals. Two players play with either five hounds or five jackals. The left side is the jackals. The right side is the hounds. To advance along the board, you flip three coins. To put pawn in play, you have to roll a five. After all pawns are put in the last five holes, you win.
Last, but not least, was the Royal Game of Ur. It was played with two players each with seven pawns and three pyramidal dice. You roll the dice to move along the board. To put pawn in play, you roll the dice until you roll a four or five. If you land on "exit" square, you roll the dice until you roll a four or a five to leave the board. The first to let all pawns exit the board is the winner.
These games are fun and challenging. I enjoyed them. You should too!
References
I found my information at the following site:
Durant, Matthew. Iwebquest.com - Ancient Egyptian Games. December 4, 2000 <http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/mission2.htm>.
