A bone disc with an inscription from Marina el-Alamein (Egypt)

Abstract

A bone disc with an inscription from Marina el-Alamein (Egypt) A bone disc with an inscription has been found at the archaeological site of the Greco-Roman period at Marina el-Alameinin Egypt. It has a hole drilled in the center and a name IOULIOS (Ιούλιος) written in Greek letters on one side. One may wonder about the diskfunction. Names appear on theatre tickets and on game counters, but they also usually bear a number or an image, e.g. a figure or a building. In the town, which has been subject of a recent research, a large number of diverse types of game pieces were discovered; glass pawns and bone counters predominate among them, however, they differ from the discussed disc: they are smooth or decorated with cut concentric circles. The number and variety of pawns indicates diverse types and a big popularity of games among the inhabitants of Marina. The described disc may have been a strategic board game counter.

Keywords

• bone disc
• game counter
• Marina el-Alamein
• Greco-Roman town