Archaeologists from the Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) have discovered a small medieval chess piece throughout excavations on the Anders Madsen Gate in Tnsberg.
They discovered it in a home that dates again to the thirteenth century. But what attracted the researchers essentially the most was the Arab sample on it. “The design of the piece has an abstract shape and is designed according to Islamic tradition, where no human figures are to be depicted,” stated excavation challenge supervisor Lars Haugeston in a launch.
The piece, 30 mm in top, with a diameter of 26 mm, is manufactured from antlers and embellished with a number of dotted circles. “No previous archaeological find from Tnsberg has a description that emphasizes that this chess piece is a unique object,” Haugestein stated.
“The oldest finds in the Nordic region are from Lund, Sweden, which dates back to the late 12th century. That fragment is identical to the Tnsberg discovery.”
By evaluating the piece with historical types of chess, the researchers be aware that the piece seems to be a horse or a knight. “In Norway, some chess items from the Middle Ages have been discovered however (solely) a couple of equivalent knights. For instance, in Bergen, greater than 1,000 gaming items have been discovered. Some of those are chess items however solely 6 summary knights ,” says Haugestein.
During the excavations, archaeologists discovered ceramics, metallic, combs and horns, along with chess items. Several homes and streets have been additionally found.
,
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
