Egyptian die made of bone
Price: on request
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Object number
0268EGY0109A
| Object: |
Cubical die
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| Material: |
Bone.
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| Period: |
27 BC to 642 AD. Roman to early Coptic period. The Muhlenberg College suggested an alternative dating for this die and put it in the 3rd Millenium BC, 1st to 6th dynasty of ancient Egypt. Egyptian dice with such a dating can also be found in the Egyptian Museum of the Neues Museum Berlin. This discussion can theoretically be decided by a C-14 dating. |
| Description: |
Egyptian die made of bone with round markings. Each mark consists of a drill hole surrounded by two concentrical circles. It is interesting to note that the mark "2" is present on two opposing sides, as well as the mark "1". The remaining two sides show no markings.
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| Dimensions: |
Sides range between 9mm and 12mm.
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| Condition: |
Museum condition. All damages are old, no modern damages. Nice dark surface.
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| Provenance: |
Find from Abydos made between 1882 and 1916 in an excavation of the Egyptian Exploration Fund (today: EES). Given in 1917 as a present to the university related Muhlenberg Anthropological Museum. The museum collection was de-accessioned in 2001 and the piece came into the private possession of Prof. J. C. Kovats-Bernat, USA. Acquired by us from that collection in 2009. The piece was loaned to the collection of an Archaeological Institute in Germany between 2009 and 2021.
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| References: |
Cf. Egyptian collection of the Neues Museum Berlin, no. ÄM4845, 10759, 10761, 10765, 12810, 13868. Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 03.4.35. |
| Literature: |
R. Ineichen, Würfel und Wahrscheinlichkeiten. W. Decker, Sport und Spiel im Alten Ägypten. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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