Ancient boards in Al-Andalus
From Wikimanqala
Mancala games were played in Al-Andalus, brought there by the Muslims. Researchers Cosín Corral and García Aparicio have researched in Vascos city, and they also give hints about other boards.
- In ciudad de Vascos (Navalmoralejo, Toledo) there are at least 13 boards from the 10th or 11th centuries.
- In the Burgos Museum there is a mancala game board coming from the San Domingo de Silos monastery. It belonged to Abd-al-Rahman III's daughter. Abd-al-Rahman III (891-961) was the emir (912-929) and first caliph (929-961) of Cordoba. It is archived not as a game or as a game board, but as a "game case" (estuche de juegos).
- There is a board carved on a stone in the lateral of "Puerta del Cambrón", Toledo. This gate was the entrance to the city's jewry, and was rebuilded on the 16th century, over a previous Muslim door, also builded over an ancient Visigothic gate. The board is vertical, so it was possibly carved before the stone was used on the door. It has two rows of four pits, plus two stores on the same extreme of the board.
- A similar one is in the Salvatierra castle (Villena, Alacant)
- There is a board on the post of Guard of Ambra castle (Pego, Alacant), from the 13th century. It has two rows of four pits.
- A similar one is in the Roman theater of Merida, near the scene. It also has two rows of four pits.
[edit]
References
- Cosín Corral, Yolanda & Constantino García Aparicio
- (1998) 'Alquerque, mancala y dados: juegos musulmanes en la ciudad de vascos', in Revista de Arqueología, January, year XIX, number 201, Madrid.
