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VICTORIA, CANADA—John Peter Oleson of the University of Victoria suggests that a 1,300-year-old piece of carved sandstone recovered at Humayma, an early Islamic trade outpost in southern Jordan, may be a chess piece, Science News reports. Oleson said the palm-sized piece of rock has horn-like projections resembling a rook, or castle. Historical accounts of the game indicate it originated in India at least 1,400 years ago. The game may have been carried westward along trade routes, Oleson explained. “Chess became very popular in the early Islamic world,” he added. To read about twelfth-century chess pieces unearthed in England, go to "Artifact."
