What kinds of toys did children play with in the past?

Anyone who sees children playing in Jena today would hardly give a second thought to how and with what objects the city’s residents played in centuries past. Yet there’s no doubt that even in earlier times, children didn’t want to go to bed without their stuffed animals, and adults found enjoyment in board games or tried their luck with dice.

The world of games finds almost no mention in Jena’s written records. So how do we know what toys children used to play with, what they looked like, and what materials they were made of? This is where archaeology can help. It uncovers the remnants of times past. And among these are occasionally toys. Often they are only inconspicuous fragments, yet they reveal an astonishing variety of ways to play. Of course, only those toys survived that withstood the wear and tear of children’s hands and then endured centuries of burial underground. Nevertheless, these objects reveal a great deal about life in times past.

Archaeological Evidence of Toys and Figurines

Jena-based archaeologist Matthias Rupp has compiled the archaeological evidence of toys and figurines recovered in Jena and has now presented it in the fourth volume of the *Jena Contributions to Monument Preservation, Architectural History, and Archaeology*.

The volume has 86 pages with 73 illustrations, most of which are in color. It costs €9.50 and is available at the Jena City Museum or can be purchased at bookstores under the ISSN 3-949860-34-8.