Miniature Time Traveller Issue 1

www.miniaturetimetraveller.com What fascinates us about toys, dolls houses and dolls? Left: An Egyptian doll stuffed with Papyrus and rags. Right: An Early Native American pair of dolls made in a similar way. At the Chicago Institute of Art Miniature Time Traveller Magazine Issue #1/9 Miniaturists don’t consider their houses toys, but these are the descendants of toys in history; objects made to amuse or educate children. The Earliest Known Toy discovered by Archaeologists is an enigmatic toggle-shaped bone artefact found on Bronze Age and later sites all over northern and western Europe which has been identified as a noisy children's toy of a type still used as recently as 100 years ago in parts of northern Scotland. The toy, known in Orkney and Shetland as a 'snorie bane', or snoring bone, was made out of pig's bone from the trotter, perforated, threaded with sinew, and spun to make a rattling noise. It was found that numerous identical drilled bones had been found in excavations in the Northern Isles, Scandinavia, Germany and Spain. Previous to the find, however, no archaeologist had a clear idea of what they might have been. Marble games are very ancient. A white and a black stone marble and three little stones forming an arch were found that seem to have been used in one such game which may have been played like a sort of mini croquet. A lot of toys made by parents to keep children amused would have been made of perishable materials and have not survived. However, some toys that have survived in Egypt’s dry climate give us a good idea of what games were played around 4,500 years ago. Children and adults are often depicted involved in games. Typically boys' games were rougher than those of the girls, but the latter were not above fighting and hair pulling like a pair in a picture fighting during the corn harvest. Racing, whether on their knees or carrying another child on their backs, and other activities including running and catching each other, have always found favour with children, as have feats of dexterity, strength and balance: Boys and girls wrestled or sat piggyback on somebody else trying not to fall off much like today’s kids. Balls: With rubber unknown, balls were made of leather filled with chaff or dry papyrus reeds wound into a ball and tied with rags. Boys again preferred team sports with balls or sticks and girls apparently went in for games that were less fiercely competitive. Early Tops; Short pieces of wood dating back to the Middle Kingdom with tapered ends have been found and it is supposed they are used in a game called Tipcat, in which such a piece of wood is struck at one end to make it spring up and then knocked away while still in the air. Wooden tops have been found with a groove cut in them for wrapping string around for pulling and spinning. Left: A Tipcat and three whip tops discovered on a 3,000 year old site during a dig in the 1800’s. Below: a similar toy made by Native Americans, in the 1800’s. The design is largely unchanged,