The Egyptian Game of Senet
our handmade Senet board, pieces and dice sticks Ancient Games, Senet Senet, originating from ancient Egypt, holds a significant place in the annals of gaming, representing one of the earliest board games known to humanity. Dating back to at least 3100 BCE, this game is prominently featured in Egyptian texts and hieroglyphs, demonstrating its widespread popularity across all societal strata, with players continuously refining its rules. Consisting of a board placed atop a rectangular box, Senet featured etched spaces where players maneuvered their pieces, simulating beliefs regarding the afterlife in Egyptian culture. Some boards even boasted a storage drawer for pieces, adding a touch of practicality to this otherworldly pastime. Surviving versions of Senet, often adorned with intricate designs and vibrant colors, hint at diverse gameplay scenarios, leading archaeologists to speculate about the game's nuances and the strategic maneuvers employed by its players. Yet, despite the wealth of physical evidence, the exact rules and mechanics of Senet remain shrouded in mystery, leaving historians to ponder its gameplay and the experiences of its ancient enthusiasts. Senet is a race game dating back to ancient egyptian times, and it is thought that it may be the ancestor of modern day backgammon (Soubeyrand (1995)). We know of this game today due to discoveries made through the excavation of ancient tombs. The original rules of Senet (The Game of Passing) are unknown. There are no records of the rules ever having been discovered, however many have attempted to reconstruct the rules using knowledge gathered through excavations in which images have been found on ancient tomb walls, as well as through Senet related artifacts. Two of the most well known versions of the games rules have been created by T.









