|
|
|
| A.D. 1: Alexandria, Egypt | |
|
Sheep Knucklebones Sheep knucklebones, real or ceramic, served as a Roman variation on dice. The Emperor Augustus, who reigned from 36 B.C. to A.D. 14, was such a devoted crapshooter than he kept rolling through royal banquets. A gracious host, he often lost deliberately. |
| A.D. 1000: Córdoba, Spain | |
|
Games Cordobans filled free hours with chess and a board game called manqala. Players threw dice and moved beads around a board shaped like a modern egg carton. Reciting poetry was another favorite pastime. |
| A.D. 2000: New York City, U.S.A. | |
|
Videos and Computer Games Computer games and videos provide instant entertainment for many modern households. But do they, as some Americans fear, rob people of interaction with others? Should this New Yorker take her eyes off the screen, a bike helmet and telescope suggest off-line possibilities. |
© 1999 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.