In the north of Iran there is the ancient cemetery of Gohar Tepe, now a key archaeological site in the province of Mazandaran. The area was first peopled some 5,000 years ago and a recent discovery in a tomb dating back to 1,000 years BC has revealed a woman with a gambling habit. Never before have so many gambling pieces been found in a single grave.

The game pieces would have been used to play Ghap, a traditional Persian game. Each ‘chip’ is fashioned from a sheep foot knuckle and, unusually, the 600 pieces in the tomb were all the same size. From other artefacts found with the woman it can be presumed she would have had special social status. As with most archaeological discoveries, as many new questions have been raised as answers found. Some of the gambling pieces were pierced, suggesting that they could have been worn as a necklace, and a huge jug from the tomb has a measurement scale, but its purpose is unknown as yet.

Excavations at the site will continue for at least another two months. Whether the woman had hit the jackpot just before she died or was the local casino owner buried with her gaming equipment or, indeed, whether the manufacture of gaming equipment was her trade, is likely to remain lost in the mists of time. The find does, however, provide further proof that from ancient times gambling has been a part of the fabric of life. (E-10.06.05)

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