Hounds and Jackals

Hounds and Jackals was a very popular board game in ancient Egypt. We have found many pictures of men and women playing it, from peasants and workers to the Pharaohs themselves.

Many boards have been found by archaeologists, ranging from crude clay tablets with holes in them found in common people’s houses, to elaborate boards made of ivory and inlaid with gems found in the Pharaohs’ tombs.

The “men” are actually dogs: wild jackals and domesticated hounds. Typically the “men” are long sticks with either the hound or jackal head on the top.