Chess is believed to have originated in India about 1,500 years ago before quickly spreading westward and beyond. Oleson and his colleagues discovered the "rook" while excavating an ancient site ...

The rook in question certainly wasn't the first chess piece ever created, but it may be the oldest found to date. John Peter Oleson Almost 30 years after its discovery, a small sandstone figurine ...

This Iranian chess set, created in the 12th century, features four stone rooks with two pointed horns each, representing horse-drawn chariots. The design is nearly identical to the "rook" figurine ...