Archaeologists attempt to decipher Ancient Egyptian 'board game of death' after rare find

Known as 'Senet' in ancient times, the game was played by all in Egyptian society regardless of social standing.

In some circles, it is described as the "board game of death", intended to be played between two people.

Each player would have had five pawns that they could place on a grid of 30 squares set out in ten rows.

A dice was then thrown into the mix, with the aim of a player moving all five pawns to the lower right-hand corner of the board.

While not all games of Senet are believed to have been involved in speaking to the dead, Ancient Egyptian texts tell an eerie story of how players often used the moves to reflect their belief in the afterlife.