Naqala, an Arabic word meaning 'to move,' lends itself to a world-wide family of games known collectively as Mancala. There are vast variations in the basic game's name, play and complexity, however Mancala is essentially a counting game.
One aspect of Mancala's wide appeal is the fact that it can be played with whatever materials happen to be around. Across Asia, and Africa (where it probably originated), Mancala is played in hollows scooped out of the earth with seeds, pebbles or shells for counters. Some boards are even moulded from animal dung!
In contrast to these modest, lowly materials, Mancala boards are found in wood, metal, pottery, clay and stone.
Explore the gallery of Mancala boards to find out more about the game and its massive following throughout history and across the globe.
This Mancala board is made of cow dung, and is one of the older items in the collectionXXXX however, evidence for Mancala goes back to antiquity.
Rows of holes resembling Mancala boards have been found carved into various structures, including the ancient Egyptian temple of Kurna, and the Ptolemaic great Pylon at Karnak at Luxor. On the other hand, these ancient carved Mancala boards could in fact be early counting device. However, whatever its heritage, Mancala remains a strong social force in many parts of the world.
