The Oldest Games

Play is older than humanity, but among the ancient Mesopotamians, a handful of games are attested throughout the ancient period, from all the way to the beginning with the Royal Game of Ur, to various gambling games and pastimes. Today we will look mostly at the board game called the Royal Game of Ur and see how it may have been played. Things are a bit up and down with the show right now, but I will be doing my best to keep us on a fortnightly release schedule either through guest episodes or bonus episodes.

Om Podcasten

History and myth of the Cradle of Civilization, bronze age Mesopotamia, beginning with the dawn of writing. The show will cover the full history of Mesopotamia, from Gilgamesh to Nabonidas, a span of some 2500 years, with myths of heroes and gods, and tales of daily life peppered throughout. Sumer, Akkad, Old Babylon, Hittites, and Israel have all been covered in depth, current episodes get deep into the Assyrian Empire. New episodes every other Wednesday. Online at oldeststories.net.