A SHORT HISTORY OF DICE: We do not know exactly how long ago dice were used in history, but the earliest stated use was part of a type of backgammon set that was excavated and dated at around 5,000 years old. In biblical times there are references of casting lots in the Bible. Some historians believe that they used some form of dice when casting lots. Most early history of dice games involve gambling of one form or another. The Greeks and Romans of history both used dice in some of their gambling games. Sometimes dice are referred to as bones, which come from the term knucklebones. This comes from when dice were made from the bones of animals. However there is a difference between knucklebones and dice, but they are both used for gaming purposes. Throughout history they have also been made from materials such as ivory, plastic and wood. Knucklebones were similar to a four-sided die. The common six-sided one has been used for thousands of years as well. And today you can find variations that range from a one sided version (which is a form of a joke) all the way up to 144 sided versions.