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Saw these weird statue-like things in a parking lot
(lemmy.blahaj.zone)
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this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2024
370 points (97.7% liked)
What is this thing?
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Those are pieces of an onyx chess set. I used to have that exact set. Here's an example from ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/276268677793?itmmeta=01HQGDMT5HNWBF8YNWTDN1Q1D5
Honestly, given how small lemmy is comparatively, this precision and time frame is awesome. I’m glad I’m here!
Damn, I thought they were dalek's
Dalek to Queen's Rook 5. Exterminate.
Explain the apostrophe. What am I not seeing?
Lots of people believe that the s character is dangerous and has to be segregated using apostrophes or it will attack the others and eventually destroy the alphabet.
The origins of this belief currently remains mysterious.
FTFY
Sign of Lemmy gaining traction.
I had it immediately as well, just clicked to see if my answer was needed. I still have the set in a box somewhere.
Yeah, this new AI is getting better and better!
Everyone is a bot except for you
I am not a bot, I am hooman just like you. I also do not consume oil or require batteries inserted in my anus, just like all of us normal hoomans.
It's not that specific. I had the same set in granite. It's a super common set.
Beat me to it, I had/have a similar set my parents got me on a work trip back in the 90s
I assumed they were chess pieces. Don't have this set, never seen it before, but glad my instincts were right.
Now the question remains… what are they doing in a parking lot. And only some of them.
Someone probably just bought the chess set at the last minute for a very important tournament but dropped a few pieces as they hurriedly put it in their car
Classic
Chess 2.0 won't need them. OP missed it's inventor by mere minutes.
Same. I think I got it on a spring break in Mexico. I vaguely remember quite a few people having them.
I wonder what would be future historians' guess as to what those are/were, 2000+ years in a future where a "great loss of knowledge" happened.
We've worked out ancient gaming pieces, and sometimes been able to figure out rules for long dead games.
Usually context is necessary for archeology. Finding these next to a parking lot wouldn't be very helpful.
We've worked out everything about this ancient game however we are still figuring out how playing around cars played a role in the game
I feel like whenever archaeology finds something new they're like "this was a massive arena for entertainment, people traveled from possibly thousands of miles away to watch two people play the game in the parking arena."
Like the get it very wrong at first but then figure out more.
Wait until they find the travel Scrabble pieces!
I keep a Royal Game of Ur on my desk. Lol.
Something something "fertility ritual", most likely.
Wow, what way do YOU play chess?!
Someone with anger issues just have lost their game
I also have the exact same set. Black and white.
Yep, it was/is a popular style of chess set pieces in Central America/Mexico ostensibly mostly for tourists.
Had a marble/onyx set that likewise, my folks got in Mexico before I was born. My grandma cast a replacement pawn out of plastic when one broke so we always had this super lightweight and off color pawn.