A Bronze Age game called 58 holes was found chiseled into stone in Azerbaijan

An ancient diversion traveled fast from the Near East to Eurasia, an archaeological find hints

ancient game

GAME ON  A dot pattern chiseled on stone at a Eurasian rock-shelter indicates that an ancient Near Eastern game called 58 holes quickly spread to a distant herding population, a scientist says.

W. Crist, Courtesy of the director of the Gobustan State Historical and Cultural Preserve

DENVER — A dotted pattern pecked into stone at a remote Eurasian rock-shelter represents a Bronze Age game that was thought to have existed at that time only in Mesopotamia, Egypt and other Near Eastern regions.