The History of Backgammon Sets

The wooden backgammon set and its round counters, dice, and cup are common fixtures to a large population of the world. While it may be something new to people which is not familiar with the game, but for those who play the game, describing the elements of the backgammon set is as simple as explaining what is in a deck of cards.

The growth of backgammon from the old Iran and Iraq, through the Roman Empire and the Arab world is an amazing tale. While so many old games have been lost in antiquity, people in the modern times are very much familiar with the rules of the game. Its simplicity as a game is one of the primary reasons why it survived over the years. One of the main reasons why it has become popular is because it has successfully adapted itself to the changing times. The transition of the backgammon set from stone to video is one of the most obvious signs of the game's durability.

The original backgammon counters were believed to have been carved out of smooth stones, which were possibly collected from the edge of a stream. The dice was made from bone while the board was created from a flat wooden piece. As the availability of materials for use in homes, farms, and workshops increased, so did the materials for use in backgammon sets. Pottery substituted stones and bones paving the way for the construction of elaborate backgammon sets.

While majority of backgammon sets would have been manufactured from the homes, commercially made backgammon sets found its way to the market during the last hundred years. Long ago, people had no means to buy a backgammon set but now there was a way to purchase their own set. The upper echelon of the industry produced elegant backgammon sets from expensive metals which found their way to the court of the kings and aristocrats.

For the initial five thousand years of the game, the sets used to play backgammon were manufactured in some way. The development of backgammon software in the last decade and a half brought the game into greater heights. The manufacturers of online backgammon software went out of their way to provide a three dimensional presentation of the actual game. As this developed, searching for a backgammon set to purchase, or taking part in clubs is no longer required in order to enjoy the game.

In the end, the development of new trends in backgammon is a proof of the durability of the game.

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