Split Appearance. Patchy and Coherent Features in Fragments of Gameplay, Mohenjo-daro, Sindh

This paper centers on ancient, generally rather scattered and elusive remains of gameplay. Focusing on a discrete assemblage of game-related artefacts from the Bronze Age Indus Valley urban settlement of Mohenjo-daro, it conducts a detailed study of some of the patchy features to see whether more structured elements thereby can be distinguished. The finds are approached situated in a broader, game-related context through a short recapitulation of findings at roughly contemporary sites in Egypt, Western Asia, and Iran. Thereafter is intra-site, spatial features of the finds explored, as well as particularities in appearance. While the playing of games is a rather universal human enterprise, its forms and expressions may likewise be seen as highly sensitive to the specific, social environment and fluctuations. Because of this intra-societal affiliation, identifying patterns of ancient gaming is suggested to contribute both to site-specific inquiries and investigations of interregional distinctions and influences.