ABSTRACT
This introductive chapter aims at clarifying the field to make the reading of the book easier. Its central point is the main thesis of the book: Games and gaming are valuable primary or additional sources for the historical study of past cultures and societies. After presenting a brief overview of various approaches to the study of games, the author proceeds to a discussion of the various definitions of and definitional approaches to the concepts “play”, “game” and “gaming”, and a presentation of various typologies of games and the relevant classifying criteria. Finally, he presents the main sources, the aim and scope of the book.
