Archaeologists discovered a collection of medieval game pieces, including a well-preserved knight chess piece, at a forgotten castle in southern Germany.

The finds, dating from the 11th to 12th centuries AD, also include other gaming pieces and dice. Chess, introduced to Europe over a millennium ago, rarely yields such well-preserved pieces from its early years.

An international team from the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the State Office for the Preservation of Monuments Baden-Württemberg (LAD), and the University of Tübingen is studying the collection.

Laboratory analyses revealed that one player used red pieces, and the knight piece shows traces of being lifted during moves, indicating continuity in game rules.

Discoveries of such early chess and gaming pieces are rare in Central Europe, Arkeonews reported.

The knight piece, part of an entire games collection, was found under wall debris at a site in Baden-Württemberg’s Reutlingen district during excavations by the German Research Foundation’s special research area 1070 Resource Cultures and the LAD.

Other finds include four flower-shaped pieces and a six-eyed dice, all carved from antlers.

The team aims to learn more about the origins of European chess and medieval noble gaming culture through these analyses.

Written by B.C. Begley