<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>The paper aims to offer significant new additions to the record of pavements designs known from archaeological contexts in the ancient Mediterranean, giving an overview of the patterns carved on marble steeps and floors in public spaces of ancient Athens. Given the problematic interpretation of carved outlines in ancient public spaces, the contribution focuses on features and locations of these patterns in the attempt to provide identification of actual game boards, contextualize them and propose their plausible chronological setting. The need to more fully understand the social and cultural dimension of play in ancient societies is now crucial to archaeological research; this paper is also offered as a contribution to approaching that understanding.</p>
</abstract>

The paper aims to offer significant new additions to the record of pavements designs known from archaeological contexts in the ancient Mediterranean, giving an overview of the patterns carved on marble steeps and floors in public spaces of ancient Athens. Given the problematic interpretation of carved outlines in ancient public spaces, the contribution focuses on features and locations of these patterns in the attempt to provide identification of actual game boards, contextualize them and propose their plausible chronological setting. The need to more fully understand the social and cultural dimension of play in ancient societies is now crucial to archaeological research; this paper is also offered as a contribution to approaching that understanding.

Pavement Designs and Game Boards from Public Spaces of Ancient Athens: A Review Across the Board

Board Game Studies Journal

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The paper aims to offer significant new additions to the record of pavements designs known from archaeological contexts in the ancient Mediterranean, giving an...

Pavement Designs and Game Boards from Public Spaces of Ancient Athens: A Review Across the Board

Published Online: Apr 26, 2022

Page range: 225 - 249

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bgs-2022-0008

Keywords
Graffiti, carved pavement designs, gameboards, Athens, Agora, public space

© 2022 Barbara Carè, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Pavement Designs and Game Boards from Public Spaces of Ancient Athens: A Review Across the Board

Published Online: Apr 26, 2022

Page range: 225 - 249

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/bgs-2022-0008

KeywordsGraffiti, carved pavement designs, gameboards, Athens, Agora, public space

© 2022 Barbara Carè, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Graffiti, carved pavement designs, gameboards, Athens, Agora, public space