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Senet (Znt)DLP Game   

Period Ancient

Region Northern Africa, Western Asia

Category Board, Race, Escape

Description

Senet is one of the oldest board games known in the world, documented from about 3000 BCE until the first millennium BCE in Egypt. It was also played In Cyprus for most of that time, and played at different times in the Levant. Though a full ruleset has never been found, hints from texts and tomb paintings in Egypt give us clues about the manner in which it was likely played. The game was also heavily imbued with religious significance, as the board itself represented the journey through the afterlife.

Rules

Played on a 3x10 board. Pieces can be five or seven in number. Two players. Four casting sticks used as dice. Boustrophedon track from top left to bottom right.

These rules were taken from the Historical Information ruleset.

All Rulesets

Scholarly rulesets
Kendall Standard rules proposed by Timothy Kendall.
Kendall Five Pieces Five pieces per player.
Kendall Starting Throw A throw of 1 is required to begin.
Kendall Trap Square 27 is a trap.
Kendall Home Row Cannot bear off until all pieces are beyond the home row.
Kendall Five Pieces Starting Throw Five pieces and starting throw rules.
Kendall Five Pieces Trap Five pieces and trap rules.
Kendall Five Pieces Home Row Five pieces and home row rules.
Kendall Starting Throw Trap Starting throw and trap rules.
Kendall Starting Throw Home Row Starting throw and home row rules.
Kendall Trap Home Row Trap and home row rules.
Kendall Five Pieces Starting Throw Trap Five pieces, starting throw, and trap rules.
Kendall Starting Throw Trap Home Row Starting throw, trap, and home row rules.
Kendall Five Pieces Trap Home Row Five pieces, trap, home row.
Kendall Five Pieces Starting Throw Home Row Five pieces, starting throw, home row rules.
Kendall All Options Five pieces, starting throw, trap, and home row rules.
Piccione Rules proposed by Peter Piccione.
Jéquier Rules proposed by Gustave Jéquier.

Suggested rulesets
Bell Suggested Rules from R. C. Bell.

Incomplete rulesets
Historical Information Rules of Senet from DLP evidence.
Simple Senet Played on a board with no markings.
Simple Marked Senet Played on a board with basic markings.
Middle Kingdom Senet Played on a board common in Middle Kingdom Egypt.
Early New Kingdom Senet Played on a board common in earlier New Kingdom Egypt.
Late New Kingdom Senet Played on a board common in later New Kingdom Egypt.
Vertical Senet Played with a vertically-oriented board and different markings.
Double Senet Played on two boards placed next to each other.
Cypriot Senet Played on simple boards with seeds or stones in prehistoric Cyprus.

Origin

Egypt

Ludeme Description

Senet.lud

Concepts

Browse all concepts for Senet here.

Evidence Map

346 pieces of evidence in total. Browse all evidence for Senet here.

Click on any marker or highlighted region to view the evidence relating to it.
To view all regions, please select it from the category options below.

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Evidence coloured based on:

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Sources

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