Topic: Biology

A new study shows that Native American hunter-gatherers created and used dice over 12,000 years ago. This is thousands of years older than similar dice found in the Old World.

Researchers have discovered evidence of ancient dice dating back more than 12,000 years to the western Great Plains during the last Ice Age. These early dice were made from bone and used for games of chance. The study, led by Robert J. Madden, a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University, shows that Native American culture has a deep history of gambling and games of chance, stretching back at least 12,000 years.

The earliest examples of these dice come from Late Pleistocene Folsom-period sites in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. These artifacts are more than 6,000 years older than comparable dice found in the Old World. The study's findings challenge traditional views that dice and probability originated in complex societies around 5,500 years ago.

The ancient dice were two-sided pieces known as 'binary lots.' They were carefully shaped from bone into small, handheld forms that were flat or slightly rounded, often oval or rectangular, and designed to be tossed together onto a surface. Each piece had two distinct faces, marked by differences in color, texture, or added designs, similar to heads and tails on a coin.

The study introduces an attribute-based morphological test, a structured checklist of physical characteristics used to identify dice in archaeological collections. This method is based on a comparative analysis of 293 sets of historic Native American dice recorded by ethnographer Stewart Culin in his 1907 Bureau of American Ethnology monograph, Games of the North American Indians.

Why It Matters

This discovery shows that ancient cultures were aware of probability and randomness, which is important for understanding human history. It also highlights the importance of considering the perspectives of indigenous cultures in our understanding of human development.

Key Facts

• The earliest known dice were created by Native American hunter-gatherers over 12,000 years ago.
• These early dice were made from bone and used for games of chance.
• The study's findings challenge traditional views that dice and probability originated in complex societies around 5,500 years ago.
• The ancient dice were two-sided pieces known as 'binary lots.'
• The study introduces an attribute-based morphological test to identify dice in archaeological collections.

Key Terms

Binary lots

Two-sided pieces made from bone used for games of chance

Implications

This discovery shows that ancient cultures were aware of probability and randomness, which is important for understanding human history. It also highlights the importance of considering the perspectives of indigenous cultures in our understanding of human development.