The Ancient Origins of Gambling: Native American Dice from the Ice Age

A recent study published in the journal *American Antiquity* reveals that the earliest known dice were crafted and used by Native American hunter-gatherers over 12,000 years ago, during the Late Pleistocene era. This discovery, led by Colorado State University Ph.D. student Robert J. Madden, indicates that these artifacts predate the earliest known dice from Old World societies by more than 6,000 years. The dice were found at archaeological sites in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, and were identified as two-sided "binary lots," small pieces of bone designed to produce random outcomes.

Native Americans were making dice, gambling, and exploring probability thousands of years before their Old World counterpartsDaily MailDaily StarScientific American

Madden's research involved a systematic re-examination of previously overlooked artifacts labeled as potential gaming pieces. By applying a new morphological test to the archaeological record, he identified over 600 diagnostic and probable dice spanning various periods of North American prehistory. The earliest examples date back to approximately 12,800 to 12,200 years ago. These binary lots were crafted to be tossed in groups, with one side designated as the "counting" face, similar to modern coins.

Native Americans were making dice, gambling, and exploring probability thousands of years before their Old World counterparts

The study highlights the persistent role of gambling and games of chance in Native American culture. Madden posits that these games served as social technologies, creating neutral spaces for interaction, trade, and alliance-building among diverse groups. The ability to engage in structured games allowed ancient peoples to manage uncertainty and foster social connections, even without a shared language.

Daily Mail

Madden's findings suggest that the understanding of probability and randomness was present in these early societies, albeit not in the formalized manner seen in later civilizations. He notes that while Ice Age hunter-gatherers may not have developed complex theories of probability, they were intentionally creating and relying on random outcomes in repeatable, rule-based ways. This challenges previous assumptions that the origins of probabilistic thinking were exclusive to Old World societies.

Scientific American

While the study presents a groundbreaking perspective on the history of gambling, some critics may argue that the interpretation of these artifacts as dice could be subjective. The reliance on morphological features to classify objects as gaming pieces may lead to debates about the accuracy of such identifications.

Daily Mail

• “What the archaeological record shows is that ancient Native American groups were deliberately making objects designed to produce random outcomes, and using those outcomes in structured games, thousands of years earlier than previously recognized.” — Robert J. Madden, Archaeologist

Native Americans were making dice, gambling, and exploring probability thousands of years before their Old World counterparts

• “Games of chance and gambling created neutral, rule-governed spaces for ancient Native Americans,” — Robert J. Madden, Archaeologist

Native Americans were making dice, gambling, and exploring probability thousands of years before their Old World counterparts

• “This seems to me like an area that really calls for a lot of study,” — Robert J. Madden, Archaeologist

Scientific American

The research conducted by Madden not only rewrites the timeline of gambling but also emphasizes the cultural and social importance of games of chance in ancient Native American societies. This study opens new avenues for understanding the development of probabilistic thinking and its implications for human culture throughout history.

Native Americans were making dice, gambling, and exploring probability thousands of years before their Old World counterparts