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A Dice Tower from Richborough

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2010

R. E. Cobbett
R. E. Cobbett
Affiliation:
Bishopsbourne, Canterbury, r.e.cobbett@hotmail.co.uk
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Abstract

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The dice tower, or pyrgus, an ancient device for rolling dice, was an everyday object in the Roman world, but up to now only two towers, from Germany and Egypt, have been found. In re-examining a group of bone box-casings from Richborough Roman Fort, however, the author has found that some of these casings must have belonged to such a tower. This article shows how this dice tower may have been constructed. The author also summarises the literary and artistic evidence for dice towers, and shows how the rosette decoration on this tower links it to the Roman game of Duodecim Scripta.

Keywords

ROMAN BOARD GAMESRICHBOROUGHPYRGUSDICE TOWERDECORATED BONEWORKDUODECIM SCRIPTAMARTIAL

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 39 , November 2008, pp. 219 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © R. E. Cobbett 2008. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

References

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