Dice weren’t “invented” at one single moment, but the oldest physical dice we’ve found date to around 3000 BCE, over 5,000 years ago.

Quick Scoop: When Were Dice Invented?

  • Archaeologists have found some of the earliest known dice in ancient Mesopotamia (in areas of modern‑day Iran, Iraq, and Turkey) from around 3000 BCE.
  • These early pieces were often made from bone, stone, clay, or ivory and used in games and in rituals or divination.
  • Similar early dice-like objects (including knucklebones used like dice) show up in ancient Egypt by about 2000 BCE and even in the tomb of Tutankhamun (14th century BCE).
  • Legends later claimed that dice were invented in ancient Greece or Lydia during the time of the Trojan War, but archaeological finds show dice are much older than those stories.

So, what’s the best short answer?

If you just need a quick line:
Dice have been around since at least about 3000 BCE, making them one of the oldest gaming tools in human history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.