We have recreated the ancient game of Hounds and Jackals in ceramic. A game that, for a long time, was thought to be of Egyptian origin, but has recently been proven to have much deeper roots in Southwest Asia, specifically in Azerbaijan, where archaeological findings have revealed rock-carved boards dated to 2000 B.C.
This discovery challenges our view of Egypt as the center of board game origins, suggesting that Southwest Asia played a fundamental role in the expansion of these gaming practices. With nearly 70 boards found to date, mostly in Egypt but also in other regions, this game reminds us of the deep connection between peoples from distant territories.
Our ceramic version captures the essence of the original board, with the goal of bringing to the present a game that has crossed continents and centuries.
Hounds & Jackals
Board:
A board with a path of holes, some marked as shortcuts or traps.Players:
Two players, each with 5 pieces represented as dogs or coyotes.Objective:
Be the first to move all your pieces from the starting position to the goal.Start:
Each player places their 5 pieces in the two central holes of the board (starting positions).
Players take turns rolling the dice, which determine the number of spaces to move.
Movements:
Pieces move according to the number rolled.
Some spaces have special effects:
Cross-marked spaces: Force the player to return to the starting position.
Spaces with a path to another space: Act as shortcuts to move forward faster.
Space with a crossing line: This is the final goal of the game.
Additional rules:
A space cannot be occupied by more than one piece of the same player.
Victory:
The first player to move all their pieces to the final space wins.