Ludii Portal

58 holes was a game popular in ancient Southwest Asia from the second and first millennia BCE. The earliest known board comes from Egypt, but it appears very quickly in widely dispersed places throughout the region very quickly, so an origin somewhere else cannot be ruled out. After the middle of the second millennium BCE, it was mostly played only in Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Iran. The ancient name for the game is unknown. In the center of the board are two parallel lines of ten holes, which are surrounded by an arc of 39-41 holes, typically with a larger or marked square at the apex. Pieces are typically pegs to be inserted into the holes, but in some cases discs, stones, or seeds may be used.

Rules

58-60 holes. Two rows of parallel lines of spaces in the center, ten or eleven in each line. Outer arc with 29-30 spaces. Five pieces per player. Sometimes certain holes are connected to each other or individually marked.

These rules were taken from the Historical Information ruleset.

All Rulesets

Suggested rulesets
Carnarvon and Carter Proposed by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter.
Carter Unmarked Carter rules on Unmarked Board,
Carter Marked Holes Carter rules on Marked board.
Carter Crossover 1 Carter rules on the Crossover 1 board.
Carter Crossover 2 Carter rules on the Crossover 2 board.
Carter Crossover 3 Carter rules on the Crossover 3 board.
Carter Crossover 4 Carter rules on Crossover 4 board.
Tab Unmarked Rules for Tab on an Unmarked board.
Tab Marked (Throw) Tab rules on the Marked board.
Tab Marked (Safe) Tab rules on the marked board. Marks are safe spaces.
Tab Parallel Connections Tab rules on the Parallel Connections board.
Tab Crosssover 1 Tab rules on the Crossover 1 board.
Tab Crossover 2 Tab rules on the Crossover 2 board.
Tab Crossover 3 Tab rules on the Crossover 3 board.
Tab Crossover 4 Tab rules on the Crossover 4 board.
Carter Marked Holes D6 Crter marked rules with a D6
Carnarvon and Carter D6 Carnarvon and Carter rules with a D6.
Carter Unmarked D6 Carter unmarked rules with D6.
Carter Crossover 1 D6 Using D6.
Carter Crossover 2 D6 Carter Crossover 2 with D6.
Carter Crossover 3 D6 CArter Crossover 3 with D6.
Carter Crossover 4 D6 Carter Crossover 4 with D6.
Carter Crossover 5 Carter and Carnarvon Rules on the Crossover 5 board.
Tab Crossover 5 Tab Rules on the Crossover 5 board.
Carter Crossover 5 D6 Carter rules on the Crossover 5 board with a D6.
Carter and Carnarvon D4 Carter's rules with a D4.
Carter Unmarked D4 Carter Unmarked rules with D4.
Carter Crossover 1 D4 Carter rules on Crossover 1 board with D4.
Carter Crossover 2 D4 Carter rules on Crossover 2 board with D4.
Carter Crossover 3 D4 Carter rules on Crossover 2 board with D4.
Carter Crossover 4 D4 Carter rules on Crossover 4 board with D4.
Carter Crossover 5 D4 Carter rules on Crossover 5 board with D4.
Carter Marked Holes D4 Carter rules on the Marked Holes board with D4.
Tab Unmarked D4 Tab rules on Unmarked board with D4.
Tab Marked (Throw) D4 Tab rules on Marked board with D4.
Tab Marked (Safe) D4 Tab rules on Marked board with D4.
Tab Parallel Connections D4 Tab rules on Egyptian boards with D4.
Tab Crossover 1 D4 Tab rules on Crossover 1 Board with D4.
Tab Crossover 2 D4 Tab rules on Crossover 2 board with D4.
Tab Crossover 3 D4 Tab rules on Crossover 3 board with D4.
Tab Crossover 4 D4 Tab rules on Crossover 4 board with D4.
Tab Crossover 5 D4 Tab rules on Crossover 5 board with D4.
Tab Unmarked D6 Tab rules on Unmarked board with D6.
Tab Marked (Throw) D6 Tab rules on MArked board with D6.
Tab Marked (Safe) D6 Tab rules on Marked board with D6.
Tab Parallel Connections D6 Tab on Parallel Connections boards with D6.
Tab Crossover 1 D6 Tab rules on Crossover 1 board with D6.
Tab Crossover 2 D6 Tab rules on Crossover 2 board with D6.
Tab Crossover 3 D6 Tab rules on Crossover 3 board with D6.
Tab Crossover 4 D6 Tab rules on Crossover 4 board with D6.
Tab Crossover 5 D6 Tab rules on Crossover 5 board with D6.

Incomplete rulesets
Historical Information Rules known from DLP evidence.
Parallel Connections Boards have lines which connect holes in the same track. do not connect tracks on the board
Unmarked Boards have no markings.
Marked Holes Certain holes are marked.
Crossover 1 Simple version with lines crossing between tracks.
Crossover 2 Crossover lines include the outer arc.
Crossover 3 Crossover board with more connections between the central lines and the outer arc.
Crossover 4 Most complex crossover board.
Labyrinth 58 holes with a "labyrinth" of extra holes around the goal.