An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v1.c11.s7.t1.1

v1.c11.s7.t1.1

The earliest dice, made of bone and ivory, are reported from ALAMGIRPUR, DESALPAR, KALIBANGAN, LOTHAL and ROPAR—all Harappa sites [4.9]. They are long and square in section, one to six dots incised on the sides. From the early 1st millennium B.C. to the early centuries of the Christian era dice were prepared of stone, shell and terracotta in addition to bone and ivory. The predominant shapes are flat, rectangular or oblong, with the four sides incised with one to four dots running serially, each dot surrounded by one or more circles and bordered by straight lines. An early piece is one from the PGW levels of ALAMGIRPUR. Early historical dice (c. 600-300 B.C.) are reported from c. India and upper Deccan (ERAN, NASIK, UJJAIN), Ganga valley (CHIRAND, SONPUR) and the n.-w. (Taxila), made of bone or ivory.