Tick-tac-toe played in ancient Assos: Scholars

ÇANAKKALE – Anadolu Agency

Shapes that were carved on the stones for people to play tick-tac-toe while waiting to enter the city have been found in the ancient city of Assos. AA Photo

The ancients might not have had Candy Crush to while away their time while waiting about, but they did have everyone’s favorite Xs and Os game, tick-tac-toe, according to archaeological findings from Assos on the Aegean Sea.

“There are towers next to the gates. We saw that the square in front of both towers was marked by cleanly cut stone blocks. There were also benches for people who were waiting in front of the city gates,” Onsekiz Mart University Archaeology Department Professor Nurettn Arslan said. “Shapes were carved on the stones here for people to play tick-tac-toe. We see in the Roman world that similar games were played there, too.”

People who came to the city in modern-day Çanakkale 2,300 years ago for the purpose of trade or visiting needed to play games to kill time while waiting, Arslan said.

The main gates of the city were made of wood, the professor also said. “Generally, gates were closed when it is dark and people had to wait for the sunshine to enter the city. This was a general rule. We can still see the traces of big wood blocks to keep the gates closed.”