I am truly impressed that Celtic settlers were playing Rock-Paper-Scissors in the 6th Century B.C. Especially because paper wasn’t invented until about the first century A.D. sigh
First of all Ron Chinn, welcome to the boards.
Second, when referencing columns please include a link. http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mrockpaper.html
If you had been paying attention you might have realized that the author was talking about variations of the game. For all we know they could have been playing Swords, Rocks, and Leaves.
I think that Veg was pretty clear that he was including any game of three hand signals, where hand signal A beats B and is beaten by C, etc.
The Indonesian version is thumb, index finger, I forget the other one, representing person, elephant, ant.
Also, Veg was very clear that these reports of the early origins are very likely bogus.
I’m waiting for the claim that actor Chris Rock’s great-grandfather owned a stationary store in Chicago in 1804, and the game was invented across the street from his store in a bar, when someone saw the sign, “Rock’s Paper and Scissors”.
I think it would be best for your mental well-being not to take anything at that World RPS site as serious. It looks like a very elaborate joke.
Specifically, that text quoted in the Staff Report about the “European Theory” and the invention by Celts sounds very academic, but the bit about the “Portuguese Armada of 350 AD” should have clued everyone in about its true nature.
Anyway, before paper was invented, they would have played Rock-Parchment-Scissors…