The history of games and that of human societies are closely intertwined. Play contributes to each person's development and promotes social fulfilment. Once humans began organizing themselves into societies, play soon followed. Games have accompanied humanity throughout its history and are embedded in our collective memory. Some have travelled from continent to continent.
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Chess in Western society
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The history of games is bound up with the societies in which they develop. While magic squares evoke China, board games have left their mark on our Mediterranean civilization. The oldest discovered to date appears to be a board found in a Mesopotamian royal tomb dating back more than 2,600 years: the Royal Game of Ur. Why was it placed in tombs? Probably so that the deceased could enjoy themselves in the afterlife! It can be compared with the Egyptian game of Senet, which had religious significance, or with Hounds and Jackals, likewise depicted in an Egyptian tomb, as well as with all these games, whose many forms vary with the cultures in which they are played: Fox and Hens, Tigers and Goats, and Bagh Chal in Nepal.
