Watching sport is boring...

... so let's just play backgammon instead.

This game-board was carved by punters bored with the athletes and races or trying to make back the money that had lost on the bets, perhaps, into the seats of the stadion of Aphrodisias. It is for an ancient version of backgammon, called the ludus duodecim scriptorum, the Game of Twelve Lines. We also know from ancient sources that not all spectators were paying attention to what was going on in front of them, and ate, talked, traded, flirted and generally made a nuisance of themselves to those who want to follow what was happening, especially during theatrical performances, which would have taken place here too after the theatre of the city was levelled in an earthquake in the 7th century, so this may be Byzantine/East-Roman. 

Contrarily to what Ovid tells us in his Art of Love - where he advises the Circus as a place to touch your intended girlfriend without giving offense, because you're pressed together like fish in a barrel anyway - the stadion of Aphrodisias was exceptionally large for a comparatively small city. It had a capacity of 30'000 people.

Or perhaps avid players met here when there was no spectacle on.

Just don't let anyone catch you play for money. That was strictly forbidden.

Artemisia lies in ancient Caria, which is part of modern Turkey.