Ancient Roman board game stumped experts for decades – until AI played

Photos: Object 04433 in Het Romeins Museum, Heerlen, the Netherlands: A) top surface, before cleaning, with pencil marks outlining the incised lines; B) the bottom and sides of the object show intentional shaping. Photos courtesy of Restaura. CC BY 4.0 (photos were rotated). Article by Bronwyn Thompson. New Atlas – March 29, 2026. Research article published online by Cambridge University Press: Antiquity.

A slab of limestone excavated in 1984 from the ancient Coriovallum settlement in the Netherlands presented a puzzle for researchers of Roman history. Because of its distinct grooves and marks, the stone piece was believed to be some kind of board game – but obviously no rulebook was dug up to confirm this. Now, more than 40 years on, new technology appears to have solved the mystery. […]

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