Overview

Ancient Knowledge is a strategy game where players are the last survivors of an ancient civilization, protecting multi-millennial knowledge. Each turn, monuments placed into your Timeline slide toward decline, decaying little by little. Players build monuments, learn technologies, and archive knowledge before structures crumble. The game ends when a player has at least 14 monuments in their Past. The player with the highest score wins.

Components

• 144 Builder cards: 36 cities, 36 megaliths, 36 pyramids, 36 artifact cards
• 27 Technology cards (12 Level I, 15 Level II)
• 4 Builder boards (1 per player)
• Technology tiles (3 per type)
• 1 Scoreboard
• 40 Knowledge tokens (1-value and 5-value)
• 4 Player aid cards
• 1 First Player token

Setup

1. Each player takes a Builder board with 5 zones: Timeline (6 spaces), Past (left area), Knowledge reserve (bottom left), and 5 artifact spaces.
2. Determine first player. Place the First Player token.
3. Shuffle Builder cards; deal 6 to each player. Place remaining as a face-down deck.
4. With 2-3 players, use 2 of each Technology tile type; with 4 players, use 3.
5. Shuffle Level I and Level II Technology cards separately. Place 5 face-up Level I cards and 3 face-up Level II cards.
6. Place Technology tiles in the center as a market.

Turn Structure

On your turn, take 2 actions (may be the same action twice) from:

A. Action Phase

Choose 2 from: Create, Learn, Excavate, Archive, Search

B. Timeline Phase

Activate all monuments and artifacts with Timeline effects.

C. Decline Phase

Slide all monuments in your Timeline one space to the left. If a monument reaches the end (goes past space 1), it enters your Past with a Decline procedure.

Actions

Create (Place a Monument or Artifact)

• Play a monument card to an empty space in your Timeline (spaces 1-6, position matters).
• Discard cards equal to the difference between the card’s decline value and the chosen space.
• If a card has a lightning symbol, immediately apply its effect.
• Artifacts (marked with artifact icon) go into one of 5 dedicated artifact spaces.
• Only certain card effects let you discard cards you have played.

Create an Artifact

• Place an artifact card in one of 5 artifact spaces on your board.
• Pay any required costs as shown on the card.

Learn (Acquire a Technology)

• Take a Technology tile from the center by meeting its requirements (paying knowledge tokens or fulfilling card conditions).
• Place it on the right side of your Builder board in the matching row (writing, technology, or lost knowledge).
• If the card has a lightning symbol, immediately apply its effect. If it has a recurring symbol, it provides ongoing benefits.

Excavate

• Discard up to many monument cards to your Past as you wish. For each card returned this way, draw 2 Builder cards.
• Returned monuments in your Past count toward the 14-monument game end trigger.

Archive

• Discard as many cards from your hand as you want. For each, gain 1 knowledge token. This is the reverse – earning knowledge by letting go of monuments.

Search

• Draw 1 card from the Builder deck and add it to your hand.

Adjacent Cards

Certain card effects refer to adjacent monuments. Monuments on the same row in the Timeline (side by side in the same row, 2 side by side, 2 diagonal) are considered adjacent. You cannot voluntarily reorder monuments in the Timeline.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Game End Trigger

The game end is triggered when any player has at least 14 cards in their Past. Finish the current round so all players have equal turns.

Final Scoring

• Add up total victory points from:
  • Victory point icons on monuments in your Past
  • Colored-band bonuses for monuments (count colored bands on cards in Past, earn VP per set)
  • Victory points from Level II Technology cards
  • 1 VP per 5 knowledge tokens remaining
  • Subtract 1 VP for each monument still in your Timeline at end of game
  • Subtract 1 VP for each artifact card remaining on your board (unless the card specifies otherwise)

The player with the highest VP total wins. Tiebreaker: player with most knowledge tokens. If still tied, the player closest to the First Player in turn order wins.

Middle of the Game

Once any player has at least 7 monuments in their Past, flip over one Level I Technology card to Level II. Replace only Level I cards. From this point, only Level II cards fill empty Technology slots.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Hand Size Limit: Maximum 10 cards in hand. If over the limit after drawing, discard excess immediately (these do NOT go to Past; they are discarded).
• Empty Builder’s Deck: If the deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile to create a new deck.
• Decline Procedure: When a card goes into Decline (slides off the Timeline), check if it has a Decline symbol. If yes, apply the effect. If it has a VP-related icon, it provides those VP at end of game. Move the card into your Past face-down.
• Golden Rules: Cards cannot be played with only partial effects. If you cannot fully apply an effect, you cannot use that card. Card effects are always optional except when a condition specifically makes them mandatory.
• Technology Card Activation: Technology cards with condition-based triggers activate during the Create or Excavate actions. Scoring technologies only activate at game end.

Player Reference

Actions (pick 2):

Action	Effect
Create	Place a monument/artifact from hand
Learn	Acquire a technology tile
Excavate	Discard monuments to Past, draw 2 cards each
Archive	Discard hand cards, gain 1 knowledge each
Search	Draw 1 card

Phase Order: Actions → Timeline effects → Decline (slide left)

Game End: 14+ cards in any player’s Past → finish round → final scoring