12,000-Year-Old Dice Found in North America

Archaeological research has uncovered evidence that the oldest known dice originated in North America approximately 12,000 years ago. This discovery pushes back the history of dice games by a significant margin, suggesting Native American cultures engaged in these activities far earlier than previously believed.

Rewriting the History of Dice

Prior to this study, the oldest dice were found in Mesopotamia and dated back around 5,500 years. The new findings, detailed in recent research, extend the known history of dice by roughly 6,000 years. This challenges previous assumptions about the origins of these gaming tools.

The Research Process

Robert Madden, an archaeologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, conducted a systematic review of existing records of Native American artifacts. He focused on identifying objects potentially used for gaming or as dice. Madden established specific criteria for identifying possible dice, including being two-sided, having distinct shapes, and featuring markings on at least one side.

Criteria for Identification

The criteria also excluded objects with holes, which would suggest they were used for jewelry rather than gaming. This meticulous process resulted in the identification of 565 objects meeting all criteria, with an additional 94 considered probable dice requiring further confirmation.

Geographic Distribution and Dating

The artifacts were recovered from 57 archaeological sites across 12 states, primarily located in the Great Plains and western United States. While most dated from 2,000 to 450 years ago, at least 31 were determined to be between 8,000 and 2,000 years old. Remarkably, 14 artifacts were dated as far back as 12,000 years ago.

Physical Characteristics of the Dice

Ancient Native American dice typically feature a two-sided design, often referred to as binary lots. These dice vary in size, shape, and markings over time, but consistently share key characteristics. They are small enough to be held in the hand, clearly marked to distinguish sides, and lack holes that would indicate use as ornamentation.

Visual Similarities Across Time

“If you took dice from 2,000 years ago and the prehistoric ones and put them in a bag and shook it up, it would be really hard to tell the difference between them,” Madden explained. “They look very similar.” Some of the oldest dice also showed traces of red pigment, likely used to differentiate the sides.

Expert Confirmation and Significance

Robert Weiner, an archaeologist at Dartmouth College, who was not involved in the study, concurred with the findings. “I don’t think there’s a compelling alternative explanation for many of these objects,” he stated. The discovery underscores the importance of dice games in Native American cultures, many of which continue to be played today.

Future Research and Implications

Madden acknowledges that the study likely underrepresents the full extent of dice use across Native American cultures. He notes the absence of dice from archaeological sites in the eastern United States, despite historical documentation of dice games played by 18 tribes in that region. Further research will focus on exploring this discrepancy. The findings also highlight Native American contributions to early intellectual developments, particularly in the understanding and application of probability.