The set was excavated at 28–32 Commercial Road, Gloucester, the site of a Norman castle.

[3] One hundred and fifty pieces of carved bone were found at the bottom of a late-11th-century rubbish pit.

[5] Archaeological evidence suggests that this happened c. 1070-1120, with study of the artistic characteristics of the board indicating a date of around 1100.

These styles are strongly associated with Vikings, suggesting it may have been built by an Anglo-Scandinavian craftsperson; there is little trace of Anglo-Saxon influence.

[6] The set, like most tables games including backgammon, contains a board of 24 'points', around which the playing pieces would have been moved.

[7] Corrosion from iron pins indicates that the bone inlay was fastened to a wooden base, about 600 by 450 mm (24 by 18 in) in size.