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

- Link: https://www.widthness.com/ancient-roman-board-game-stumped-experts-for-decades-until-ai-played/
- Published: 2026-04-01T09:00:00-05:00
- Author: Curated by John Wysocki

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. […] Click here to view original web page at www.newatlas.com