The History of Dice

Dice have been used in gaming and other activities throughout the course of history starting as early as 5000 years ago. They are meant to be a object of chance and traditionally are six-sided cubes with each side depicting a number of holes or circles that represent the numbers one through six. Dice have changed over time to incorporate new shapes and numbers of sides as the games they are used in have also evolved and grown.

History

The oldest known dice were found as part of a 5000-year old backgammon set unearthed in southeaster Iran. They are thought to be a predominantly Asian invention as some of the oldest dice were found to be used by ancient Mongolians and other peoples in neighboring countries. The use of dice for the most part in ancient times was not for backgammon, however, but for gambling. The ancient Greeks used dice regularly, as did knights and royalty during the Middle Ages. Dice in Asia led to the invention of dominoes as well. Today, dice is still used in gambling, but also in tabletop games that are not based entirely around chance.

Types

The most basic type of die is a six-sided cube, white in color, with a number of black dots on each equal to one of the numbers one through six. These dice have an equal probability of landing on each side, which is one in six. Beginning in ancient Rome, which was a notorious gambling society, many professional gamblers created loaded dice. These were made of various materials of different density that caused the dice to have a higher probability of rolling onto a certain side, which was usually the side with higher numbers. As dice evolved along with the games they were used in, other types were made in different shapes, such as pyramids, and have varying number of sides and probabilities attached to them.

Features

The first dice were originally composed of the anklebones of animals such as horses or oxen, called knucklebones. These are still used to make die today in certain parts of Asia, though modern dice typically are made out of a synthetic plastic material for easier mass manufacture. As more advanced civilizations began to adopt dice into their cultures, other varieties were used out of wood, ivory, metal and other such materials.

Function

Dice were mainly used in gaming and gambling and that is their typical purpose today. They are the main devices in the game of dicing, which was a game played y royalty and upper classmen in Ancient Greek and Roman societies as well as European societies in the Middle Ages. They are also used in religious divination ceremonies in what is called cleromancy. This was mainly used by fortune tellers in Roman societies who would toss dice and read them in order to foretell the wills of the gods.

Significance

Dice were particularly significant to the Ancient Romans and Greeks, were gambling was an integral part of the society. Dicing was one of the most popular games at the time and professional gamblers who played the game were treated with a great deal of respect and had a high status in society. There were even laws that said that no man who allowed dicing in his home could have charges pressed against him in the court or law.