Lewis Chessmen

They were discovered in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, reportedly in a small stone-lined chamber inside a sand dune at Uig Bay. The exact circumstances of their discovery and how they came to be buried there remain uncertain.

The collection is split between two museums: 82 pieces are held at the British Museum in London, and 11 pieces are displayed at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The British Museum acquired most of the pieces in 1831 shortly after their discovery.

The vast majority are carved from walrus ivory, with a few pieces carved from whale tooth. Scholars generally believe they were produced in Scandinavia, likely in Trondheim, Norway, around 1150-1200 AD, during the era of Norse influence in the Scottish islands.

The find consists of 93 artifacts in total: 78 chess pieces, 14 tablemen (used for the medieval board game tables, an ancestor of backgammon), and one belt buckle. The chess pieces alone represent parts of several different sets.