Roman Games

Roman board games on display in our Archaeology Gallery

The Romans played board games with counters made of glass, bone or pottery, and dice usually made of bone.

A popular game was ludus latrunculorum (game of the brigands), which is thought to be similar to our game of draughts.

Glass gaming counters from Rocester were probably played with by off-duty soldiers in the fort. Glass counters were also found at the were also found at the Trent Vale pottery Kiln. The potters must have had time to play a game, perhaps when the pots were firing in the kiln.