Chess Piece - 3D Model

3D model of a chess piece. The original, made of bone, was found in the rubbish dump by the entrance to the monastery kitchen. While the oldest known references to chess are from the 6th century CE (AD), clergymen are thought to have brought the game to Iceland shortly after Christianity was adopted around the year 1000. Gaming objects such as these are frequently found in archaeological excavations at cloisters abroad. The finds here show that pastimes such as chess and backgammon were common both at Skriðuklaustur and on the European continent. Physical object held at the National Museum of Iceland nr: 2008-36-359. Found 01/07/2008 by EJ https://sarpur.is/Adfang.aspx?AdfangID=1436488

Part of the Skriðuklaustur Monastery 1550 reconstruction.

Digitisation by Open Virtual Worlds, a research team within the School of Computer Science, University of St Andrews, in cooperation with the Gunnar Gunnarsson Institute at Skriðuklaustur and the National Museum of Iceland. 3D digitisation was done by Catherine Cassidy and Iain Oliver with archaeological assistance provided by Skúli Gunnarsson.

Funded by the EU Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme 2014-2020 through the “Connected Culture and Natural Heritage in a Northern Environment” (CINE) project.