Abstract
An interesting assemblage of ancient ceramic materials connected or potentially connected with gaming activities has been characterized from the archaeometric point of view. The materials (washer-like pieces, small spheres, and cubic dice, with and without inscriptions) were found in the Villa del Foro excavation (Alessandria, Italy). They are related to the early Ligurian population of the site and their frequent contacts with Etruscan both in Etruria and in the Po Valley, in a period spanning the early VI century BC till the first half of the V century BC. Starting from the materials evidence, hypotheses are proposed concerning their possible use and cultural meaning. The studied cubic dice are discussed in the wider context of the pre-Roman diffusion of these objects.
Highlights
Featured Application: Several unusual small objects from the Villa del Foro archaeological excavation were characterized and interpreted either as gaming pieces or functional materials
No evidence whatsoever typology of labile material are reportedinscriptions, and discussed by Angelini et al the was found of or disappeared supporting pristine unmarked we of only the observation that independent of the size and shape of the state ofHere several thereport cubic dice
The same same function has been suggested for the inscribed dice from Castello di Annone [12]
Summary
Featured Application: Several unusual small objects from the Villa del Foro archaeological excavation were characterized and interpreted either as gaming pieces or functional materials. They are related to the early Ligurian population of the site and their frequent contacts with Etruscan both in Etruria and in the Po Valley, in a period spanning the early VI century BC till the first half of the V century BC. The recent find of an unusual assemblage of small objects during the archaeological excavation at Villa del Foro (Alessandria, Italy) [9], possibly related to gaming practices in. Pre-Roman cultures, has prompted an in depth characterization of the materials as an aid to the interpretation of their manufacturing and use [10,11]. The archaeometric characterization of the objects is presented here, as well their interpretation based on the available knowledge of coeval similar objects
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