Board games have been popular for millennia, and the ancient game “Hounds and Jackals,” also known as “58 Holes,” was previously believed to have originated in Egypt.

However, a new study by Walter Crist and Rahman Abdullayev suggests it may have southwestern Asian roots.

The researchers discovered six game boards at various archaeological sites in Azerbaijan, indicating the game’s widespread popularity across cultures, Fox News has reported.

The boards, which feature a pattern similar to modern “Chutes and Ladders,” suggest that the game may have spread through trade networks rather than conquest, dating back to the late third or early second millennium B.C.

The findings challenge the game’s Egyptian origin, but more evidence is needed for a definitive conclusion.

Written by B.C. Begley