• The game of Senet, often considered one of the oldest known board games, may not have originated in ancient Egypt as previously believed. A new study suggests that the game's origins can be traced back to Mesopotamia, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which is now part of modern-day Iraq.

• The researchers analyzed the game boards and pieces found in archaeological sites across the Middle East and Egypt, and found that the earliest known Senet boards and game pieces date back to around 3100 BCE in Mesopotamia, predating the earliest known examples from ancient Egypt by several centuries. This suggests that the game may have been introduced to Egypt from Mesopotamia, rather than being an indigenous Egyptian invention.

• The study also found that the game's rules and gameplay evolved over time, with the earliest versions being simpler and more abstract, while later versions became more complex and incorporated religious and symbolic elements. This evolution of the game across different cultures and time periods highlights the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations and the spread of cultural practices and technologies across the ancient world.