History of Backgammon

Backgammon is a popular game that can be found in cyberspace. However, the game is much older than the Internet and computers. In fact, it is even older than the Roman Empire. It is no surprise that backgammon belongs to one of the oldest classes of games as well -- tables.

Backgammon has many variants, most of which evolved over several millenniums. The board game initially used wood as a playing surface, with stones for markers. Dice were made from an assortment of materials such as stones, wood, bones, ivory and pottery.

Backgammon spanned the globe well before globalization became a common term. Many centuries ago, it was played across many ancient cultures. These included the ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Romans and Persians. Persia has a special place in backgammon history, being the region where the oldest game set was discovered.

One reason for the preservation of backgammon artifacts is its historical association with leaders and nobility of ancient cultures. The oldest of the game's artifacts were discovered in Iran -- formerly Persia. Some of those artifacts appear to have existed prior to 3,000 BC. These findings indicate that backgammon has existed for well over 5,000 years.

Games similar to or related to backgammon appeared during the Middle Ages. One such game was an Asian version called "nard." From India, that version of the game reached China -- a country that developed its own backgammon variant. Europe was eventually introduced to nard after Arab incursions circa 902 AD.

Throughout its history, backgammon was associated with gambling. This led to prohibitions in various countries, most notably in France and England during the Middle Ages. However, backgammon regained popularity after the prohibition periods.

The first documented use of the term "backgammon" is thought to be circa 1645, be derived from a combination of the word "back" and the old English word "gamen" (game or play). However, it was also referred to as "tables" before the name "backgammon" became widely used.

The first set of rules for backgammon was written in the 18th century by an Englishman named Edmond Hoyle. However, game rules were only officially codified in the 20th century -- in 1931. The 1931 rules are the same framework in which the game operates today.

Backgammon's popularity has risen and waned over the course of its protracted history. With the online gaming and backgammon software, interest in backgammon surged. Indeed, it is ironic that the newest technologies have precipitated interest in one of the world's oldest games.