Mahjong Tiles - Halifax, NC
Institution: North Carolina Office of State Archaeology
State: North Carolina
Object: Game Piece
Era: 19th Century
Dudley’s Tavern was built in mid 18th century and most likely continued into the 19th century. A field school excavation uncovered bottles, ceramics, glassware, and these mahjong tiles in the tavern’s remarkably well-preserved cellar.
Mahjong originated as a gambling game in mid-to-late 1800s China and spread to a limited number of foreigners via trade routes. American mahjong is typically played with slimmer, smaller tiles that require the use of racks to stand upright. Like almost all tiles of the period, these Mahjong tiles are made of bone.
The game exploded in the 1920s when game companies advertised its exotic origin and falsely claimed it was a favorite of Confucius. After the Mahjong craze died down, the game continued to be popular in Asian American and Jewish American communities.
