A closer look at “Medieval Russian 'Pizza Peel' Doubles as 11th-Century Board Game, Archaeologists Find”, exactly as the source publishes it. Archaeologists in Russia have uncovered a flat wooden paddle, reminiscent of a modern pizza peel, that served a dual purpose in the 11th century: as a kitchen tool and a game board. The discovery was made during excavations at a medieval settlement, though the exact location and research team were not specified in the source. The wooden artifact features a carved grid pattern on one side, indicating it was used for playing a board game, possibly similar to Nine Men's Morris or another strategy game popular in medieval Europe.
This find highlights the ingenuity of everyday objects in the Middle Ages, where items often had multiple functions to maximize utility. The 'pizza peel' likely would have been used for sliding bread or other baked goods in and out of a clay oven, a common feature in Russian homes of that era. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.