The Historical Significance of Games: From Ancient Board Games to the Digital Future
Though often seen as mere leisure activities, games carry deep cultural and historical significance. Jacob Schmidt-Madsen, an expert in traditional South Asian games and a postdoctoral researcher in the ASTRA group at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, offers intriguing insights into the world of analog games. From the cosmological symbolism of “Snakes & Ladders” to the role of games in rituals and knowledge transmission, Schmidt-Madsen reveals how game systems shape culture and history far beyond play.
