National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Bone Ice Skates Invented by Ancient Finns, Study Says


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Thick leather straps pierce a replica of an ancient ice skate. The tool is modeled after skates made from animal bones that have been found throughout Scandinavia and Russia, including some that date back to around 3000 B.C.

A new study of the energy saved while using bone skates suggests that the sport was originally invented in Finland not for fun but for survival.

Photograph courtesy Federico Formenti