It is now thought they were intended for sale in Scotland, and were deposited in a container in the dune for safekeeping. In their figurative design, however, the Lewis chessmen were unusual. By the late 15th century, chess had more or less reached its modern form. Draughts and dominoes also first appeared in western Europe at this time. Draughts was a derivative of chess initially played only with pawns or tabula counters, and finds of early pieces are extremely rare.
Dominoes are slightly less so.
Recently Europe s earliest known domino, from the late 15th century, was found at Einbeck in Germany, while 16th century pieces are known from Oxford, very similar in form to those used today. The other great medieval game, tabula, was played with 30 discoidal counters and with several dice, although these are seldom found with discarded sets, possibly because they were also useful in other games. The Gloucester tabula set is elaborate, with carved antler figure scenes and highly decorative board points. It was an expensive, noble piece of equipment. Why it was thrown away remains a mystery.