Humans May Have Been Gambling 12,000 Years Ago: Ancient Dice Reveal Surprising Evidence

New findings unearth 12,000-year-old dice in North America, pushing back the history of gambling. Explore how these ancient tools shaped early human societies.

New findings suggest that humans might have begun gambling some 12,000 years ago. Researchers from Colorado State University discovered what seem to be the oldest known dice, dating back to the end of the last Ice Age. These items were found at archaeological sites in the western Great Plains of North America and are over 6,000 years older than any previously known examples.

Research Findings

The study, published in American Antiquity, was led by researcher Robert Madden. The team re-examined objects that had earlier been classified as potential gaming tools or overlooked.

In total, they identified nearly 600 items that were probably used as dice, covering various periods of North American prehistory. The oldest of these date back approximately 12,800 to 12,200 years.

Simple Dice

Unlike the cube-shaped dice used today, these early dice were two-sided and made from small bone pieces. They were often flat or slightly curved and shaped into oval or rectangular forms that could fit easily in the hand.

Each piece had two distinct sides, marked through carving, colouring, or surface treatment, similar to the heads and tails of a coin. These objects, sometimes called binary lots, were likely thrown together, with results determined by which side landed facing up.

Early Thinking

The findings suggest that ancient communities intentionally created tools to produce random outcomes. Although these early societies were not formally studying mathematical probability, they clearly used structured systems based on chance.

This indicates an early awareness of repeated patterns and outcomes, which is a key part of how probability functions, even if it was not formally defined at the time.

Cultural Role

The research also shows how widespread and long-lasting these practices were. Dice-like objects have been discovered at 57 sites across 12 different US states, spanning thousands of years and involving numerous cultural groups.

According to Madden, these games likely played an important social role. They may have helped different groups interact, trade goods, build relationships, and manage uncertainty in a fair and organized manner. Early gambling tools were not just for fun but also functioned as important social systems in ancient communities.