- Humans used dice in games of chance 12,000 years ago in North America
- Study analyzed 565 Native American dice meeting specific criteria for dice
- These dice predate Old World dice by about 6,000 years, linked to Ice Age
A new study has suggested that humans may have been gambling much earlier than previously thought. Researchers have found evidence in 12,000-year-old Native American dice that could represent the earliest known use of games of chance, reported NYPost.
The study, published in the journal American Antiquity, highlights how ancient communities may have understood and used randomness long before similar developments appeared in other parts of the world.
Robert Madden, an anthropology researcher at Colorado State University, stated that this discovery represents the earliest evidence yet that humans were beginning to understand and embrace concepts like chance and randomness in an organised manner.
According to him, this is the first time evidence has been found that shows people were using these concepts in planned activities.
Madden also noted that these gaming devices are approximately 6,000 years older than dice found in the Old World.
This suggests that North American indigenous communities were creating multifaceted objects and using them in games of chance as early as the last Ice Age.
To understand the true purpose of these objects, Madden analysed more than 600 sets of Native American dice. These remains were found at various prehistoric sites in the western United States, including areas on both sides of the Rocky Mountains.
They range in age from approximately 13,000 years ago to 450 years ago.
They compared these objects to descriptions given in anthropologist Stewart Cullin's century-old book Games of the North American Indians to determine whether they were actually used as dice.
Rules For Dice Identification
The researchers established four key criteria for an object to be considered dice. The object must be made of wood or bone and have at least two sides.
Each side must have distinct markings, usually created with paint or other means. Furthermore, the sides must be flat or slightly curved, and the shape must allow players to hold them together and throw them on a flat surface.
According to Madden, most of these objects had already been discovered and studied, but there was no uniform and clear standard for what constituted dice in different regions.
Based on this process, Madden identified 565 dice that met all four criteria. In addition, 94 other objects were discovered that were likely dice, but did not meet all the criteria.
Unlike modern cubic dice, these ancient objects were primarily two-sided and had different markings on each side. These are called "binary lots," which functioned like coin flips and gave 50/50 outcomes in games.
Evidence Of The Earliest Dice
These dice have been found at 58 archaeological sites in regions such as the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Some of the oldest examples are associated with the Folsom culture, which dates back approximately 12,200 to 12,800 years ago.
Researchers have also linked a possible dice to the Clovis culture, which may be around 13,000 years old.
These discoveries are much older than dice found in Asia and the Middle East, approximately 5,500 years old. This not only pushes the history of gambling back further, but also extends the timeline of early mathematical thinking related to probability.
Madden says this discovery is significant because mathematics historians consider dice and games of chance to be an important early step toward humans understanding randomness and probability.
Not Just For Entertainment
According to the researchers, these early games weren't just for entertainment. Instead of playing against the system like in modern casinos, they were used to build relationships between people.
It's possible that these games helped foster communication between strangers, exchange goods, and share information, making them a means of social connection in ancient societies.
Madden concluded that this study shows that dice and gambling have long been a part of Native North American culture. These activities have played a vital role in connecting people and strengthening social connections for thousands of years, and this tradition continues today.
