Archaeologists use AI to decode ancient Roman board game

Archaeologists have used artificial intelligence to decode the rules of an ancient Roman board game found on a limestone slab in the Netherlands. The artifact, which was housed in the Het Romeins Museum in Heerlen, had previously been dismissed by some experts as mere architectural salvage.

Researchers from Leiden University and Maastricht University utilized detailed 3D scans to analyze microscopic wear patterns on the stone. By examining where certain incised lines were deeper due to repeated use, the team employed the Ludii game-playing system to run thousands of simulations. This computational approach allowed them to reconstruct how players moved pieces across the board, effectively bringing a forgotten pastime back to life despite the lack of surviving written instructions.

Lead author Walter Crist, an archaeologist at Leiden University, noted that while many Roman games were played in sand or with perishable materials, this discovery provides rare physical evidence of tabletop gaming in the Roman town of Coriovallum.