""At the end of the last Ice Age, these are not the people we think are going to be diving into complex intellectual concepts. But they seem to be doing exactly that," Colorado State University archaeologist Robert J. Madden stated."
"Madden's study is primarily concerned with classification. While there is a historic record of Native American dice dating back 2,000 years, a hurdle stood in the way for archaeologists trying to trace a throughline between smaller, nondescript findings at older sites."
"Using Culin's index, Madden developed objective criteria to comb through archaeological archives. In his analysis, he classified over 600 pieces from 57 archeological sites across the American West."
Research indicates that the first dice, made by Native Americans, appeared over 12,000 years ago, significantly earlier than previously thought. These Pleistocene-era dice predate known archaeological dice from the Bronze Age by over 6,000 years. The study, led by Robert J. Madden, focuses on classifying these artifacts, utilizing Stewart Culin's 1907 work to establish criteria for identifying over 600 dice from 57 archaeological sites in the American West. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the intellectual capabilities of early Native Americans.
Read at Hyperallergic
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