A few ivory fragments that have been excavated appear to be parts of
dice and chessmen. Chess was popular during the 17th century, and many
dice games, including even and odd, hazard, passage, mumchance, and
novem were played.
Other games which undoubtedly were played in many Jamestown homes were
tick-tack, backgammon, Irish, and cards. Card games were popular,
especially primero, trump, piquet, saint, and decoy.
Many 17th-century fireplace tiles in the Jamestown collection are
decorated with charming little pictures depicting children's games.
Activities portrayed include skating, bowling, spinning tops, fishing,
rolling hoops, using a yo-yo, swinging, wrestling, skipping rope,
shooting, playing skittles, riding a hobby horse, sledding, boxing, and
playing musical instruments. These pictures remind us that games played
by boys and girls today are very similar to those enjoyed by children
three centuries ago.
[Illustration: ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS REVEALED THAT THE COLONISTS
ENJOYED ARCHERY. THE IRON LEVER SHOWN, KNOWN AS A "GOAT'S FOOT," WAS
USED FOR SETTING THE STRING OF A LIGHT HUNTING CROSSBOW. IT WAS FOUND 4
MILES FROM JAMESTOWN. ILLUSTRATION SHOWING THE USE OF A "GOAT'S FOOT"
FROM _Weapons, A Pictorial History_ BY EDWIN TUNIS.]