The Role of Graffiti Game Boards in the Understanding of an Archaeological Site

The Gebel el-Silsila Quarries

Bibliographic Data

ID20374282
AuthorsA De Voogt (0000-0002-1763-2288, Drew University, corresponding author), Maria Nilsson (0000-0003-1601-5533, Lund University), John Ward (0000-0002-0402-1541, Lund University), John H Ward (0000-0002-9108-7900, Lund University)
Year2020
Volume106
Issue1-2
Pages123-132
Publication date2020-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Egyptian Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0307-5133 • E-ISSN: 2514-0582
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0307513320971302
OpenAlexW3101771872
LanguageEN
Citations received4

Graffiti game boards attest to the presence of historical populations at an archaeological site and, in some cases, assist in dating an archaeological context. While games suggest the presence of a social activity, their contextual significance compared to the graffiti of texts and images, pottery finds, and other diagnostic tools of archaeology is open to further enquiry. The presence of multiple board game traditions at Gebel el-Silsila in Egypt creates an ideal environment to study the differences between graffiti texts and images, excavated materials and game boards when they are found in the same location. It is shown that game boards may confirm human presence in different historical time periods for which only limited additional evidence exists, or they may signal the presence of a different historical population. Their symbolic significance remains unclear, but game boards otherwise provide an independent source of information and an asset to a general archaeological inquiry

Archaeology · Art · Computer security · Geography · Graffiti · Population · Pottery · Sociology · Visual arts · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Computer Science · History · Public Spaces through Art

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Open DOI