I have developed this web site using the knowledge I gained from working as a php/mysql developer in some company in Shoreditch, London. Previously student in archeology in Paris (Sorbonne University, PhD of Near Eastern Archeology under the directory of Jean-Daniel Forest), previously a student in History, I discovered two years ago the world of board games and their long history. The wealth of this subject is by many aspect impressive.

Therefore, Click here! in the double purpose of getting a grant and generating some contributions, I decided to create a website devoted to the presentation of the iconography and the litterature ressources of the ancient Near Eastern board games.The scientific closeness of my talk is guaranted by my university learning period. I can study board games under the aspect of both history and archeology. However, the subject is large and the help of various scholars or people interested in the subject is needed. To realise this project, I apply the stuff I learn at work (php, mysql, apache, linux and the rest computer programming, and the work experiences I got so far. Have a look if you wish

IF you are asking yourself how I came to ancient board games studies, I muss, now, confess that I am a big fan of both backgammon and the Near Eastern world, among others .

Project

While studying the complex history of ancient near Eastern board games, I realised how deep were their roots in the different societes practicing them.
To explore this point, I decided to lead some researches on their iconography, hoping to learn more about their symbolic meanings.
By doing so, I discovered tresories of mancraft and complex levels of interpretation, mixing the spheres of entertainment and science.

Unhopfully, the actual iconographical ressources are (as an euphémisme) poor. Many photographic pictures comes from old archeological reports and their quality is often very low. Then, I tried to find in museums and librarys other founds. However, those ressources are not free and forced me to expensive travels and payments. Board games are stored in very distant museums and sometimes they are linked to their found place. Therefore, in the purpose to be as exhaustif as possible in order to be able to offer a synthetic view on the subject I need some help from generous contributors.

Lots of reasons decided me to create this website, but above the others it is my desire to share my finds with all the people interested in one or more aspects of boardgames studies that decided me. As an university student, I sometimes feel a bit isolated in my researches. One of their specificity is to be linked to all the main studies we are leading in our whish to understand better the way ancient societies were working but in the same time to be open to all of them without specialisation. Therefore I do not belong to a specific chapel even if I am registered as an archeological student. In the same time, french university is creating students more and more specialised and do not incitate them to meet fellows from various disciplines.

I, then, would like this site to become a plate-form for publishing the works of other students or scholars and presenting my project about ancient board games iconography. As a web-learner I can develop myself the site (of course, all the remarks and advices are warmly welcome) because that only cost me my time, but as a student I cannot afford to carry on travelling in the only purpose of creating a complete database devoted to ancient board games. I am then looking foe external contributions who could supply me with any kind of help in the interest of becoming a generous fellow of board games knowledge. Go to see how I planed to organise the iconographic catalogue by clicking here

If you think you can help me in the realisation of this project, contact me for further details.