Ancient Roman Board Game Rules Reconstructed with AI and Archaeology

A team of researchers has utilized artificial intelligence (AI) and archaeological analysis to reconstruct the probable rules of an ancient Roman board game. The discovery stems from a stone slab unearthed in Heerlen, Netherlands. The findings, published in the journal Antiquity, identify the game as an asymmetric "blocking game," named Ludus Coriovalli.

This research suggests that this type of game was played in Roman times, predating its previously understood European origin in the Middle Ages. Furthermore, this study establishes a novel methodology combining AI-driven simulations with archaeological evidence to interpret ancient artifacts.

The reconstruction of Ludus Coriovalli challenges previous historical understanding and introduces a new methodology for interpreting ancient artifacts through AI.

Discovery and Artifact Description

Archaeologist Walter Crist identified the unusual stone slab, cataloged as object 04433, in 2020 at Het Romeins Museum (formerly Thermenmuseum) in Heerlen, Netherlands. The Norroy limestone artifact, measuring 21 by 14.5 centimeters, features a carved geometric grid of diagonal and straight lines.

The stone, imported by Romans from France, was unearthed in Heerlen (the Roman settlement of Coriovallum) in the late 19th or early 20th century, though its original archaeological context was subsequently lost. Its neatly finished edges suggest it was a complete product, estimated to have been worked approximately 1,500 to 1,700 years ago.

Evidence of Play

Initial analysis revealed that the object did not match known Roman game patterns. However, microscopic use-wear analysis and detailed 3D scans performed by a restoration studio showed localized abrasion and variations in the depth of lines on the stone's surface.

These wear patterns, concentrated along specific lines, were consistent with the sliding motion of Roman-era game pieces, potentially made of glass, bone, or earthenware. This provided strong evidence that the slab served as a gameboard.

Karen Jeneson, curator of The Roman Museum, noted that alternative uses for the stone, such as an architectural feature, did not provide a satisfactory explanation for the observed marks.

AI-Driven Reconstruction of Rules

Researchers employed the Ludii AI system, an AI-driven game system from Maastricht University's Digital Ludeme Project, to deduce the game's rules. The AI was trained using rulesets of approximately 100 known ancient games from the same geographical region.

AI agents then simulated various traditional European game rules on a digital model of the Heerlen board, playing thousands of rounds. By cross-referencing the AI-generated game variants with the specific wear marks observed on the physical stone, researchers identified rules that would generate wear patterns matching those on the artifact. This process indicated that the game was a "blocking game," where the objective is to trap an opponent's movement.

Dennis Soemers from Maastricht University cautioned that while the AI can generate rules for any line pattern, confirming that Romans played precisely by these deduced rules is not possible with absolute certainty.

Ludus Coriovalli: The Reconstructed Game

The reconstructed game has been named Ludus Coriovalli. It is characterized as an asymmetric blocking game, a strategic pursuit where one player aims to trap an opponent's pieces. This style of game is similar to medieval Scandinavian "dogs and hares" games but had not been previously documented in the Roman Empire.

The probable rules are:

One player controls four "dogs."
The other player controls two "hares."
Dogs begin on the four leftmost points of the board.
Hares start on the two inner points on the rightmost side of the board.
Players move one piece at a time to an adjacent empty spot along the lines of the board.
The objective for the "dog" player is to block the "hares."
The objective for the "hare" player is to avoid being blocked. The hare player who remains unblocked the longest wins.

Historical Significance and New Methodology

This study provides archaeological evidence that blocking games were played during the Roman period. This finding challenges previous historical understanding that placed their European origin in the Middle Ages. It suggests a previously unrecorded folk tradition of "hunt" games among Romans, complementing known Roman games like Latrunculi and Duodecim Scripta.

Furthermore, the research validates a new archaeological method involving AI to simulate human behavior for interpreting physical objects. This marks the first instance of combining AI-driven simulated play with archaeological methods to identify a board game.

This innovative approach offers additional tools for archaeologists studying ancient cultures, providing a novel way to interpret ancient artifacts.