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The Role of Graffiti Game Boards in the Understanding of an Archaeological Site : The Gebel el-Silsila Quarries

de Voogt, Alex ; Nilsson, Maria LU orcid and Ward, John LU (2020) In Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 106(1-2). p.123-132
Abstract

Graffiti game boards attest to the presence of historical populations at an archaeological site and, in some cases, assist in dating an archaeological context. While games suggest the presence of a social activity, their contextual significance compared to the graffiti of texts and images, pottery finds, and other diagnostic tools of archaeology is open to further enquiry. The presence of multiple board game traditions at Gebel el-Silsila in Egypt creates an ideal environment to study the differences between graffiti texts and images, excavated materials and game boards when they are found in the same location. It is shown that game boards may confirm human presence in different historical time periods for which only limited additional... (More)

Graffiti game boards attest to the presence of historical populations at an archaeological site and, in some cases, assist in dating an archaeological context. While games suggest the presence of a social activity, their contextual significance compared to the graffiti of texts and images, pottery finds, and other diagnostic tools of archaeology is open to further enquiry. The presence of multiple board game traditions at Gebel el-Silsila in Egypt creates an ideal environment to study the differences between graffiti texts and images, excavated materials and game boards when they are found in the same location. It is shown that game boards may confirm human presence in different historical time periods for which only limited additional evidence exists, or they may signal the presence of a different historical population. Their symbolic significance remains unclear, but game boards otherwise provide an independent source of information and an asset to a general archaeological inquiry.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
game board, graffiti, play, quarry
in
Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
volume
106
issue
1-2
pages
10 pages
publisher
Egypt Exploration Society
external identifiers
  • scopus:85096220962
ISSN
0307-5133
DOI
10.1177/0307513320971302
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
60b130b9-69da-403b-b8e5-1316cfd0c7cc
date added to LUP
2021-01-08 12:46:43
date last changed
2024-02-23 02:30:02
@article{60b130b9-69da-403b-b8e5-1316cfd0c7cc,
  abstract     = {{<p>Graffiti game boards attest to the presence of historical populations at an archaeological site and, in some cases, assist in dating an archaeological context. While games suggest the presence of a social activity, their contextual significance compared to the graffiti of texts and images, pottery finds, and other diagnostic tools of archaeology is open to further enquiry. The presence of multiple board game traditions at Gebel el-Silsila in Egypt creates an ideal environment to study the differences between graffiti texts and images, excavated materials and game boards when they are found in the same location. It is shown that game boards may confirm human presence in different historical time periods for which only limited additional evidence exists, or they may signal the presence of a different historical population. Their symbolic significance remains unclear, but game boards otherwise provide an independent source of information and an asset to a general archaeological inquiry.</p>}},
  author       = {{de Voogt, Alex and Nilsson, Maria and Ward, John}},
  issn         = {{0307-5133}},
  keywords     = {{game board; graffiti; play; quarry}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{123--132}},
  publisher    = {{Egypt Exploration Society}},
  series       = {{Journal of Egyptian Archaeology}},
  title        = {{The Role of Graffiti Game Boards in the Understanding of an Archaeological Site : The Gebel el-Silsila Quarries}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0307513320971302}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0307513320971302}},
  volume       = {{106}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}