Traditional Sports in Human Culture
Dec 21, 2015
Traditional Sports in Human Culture
ChinaPerforming and entertaining sports • ice hockey (binqxi) • polo (jiju)• swordsmanship• throwing arrows into wine pitchers (touhu) Keep-fit activities• tai chi and daoyin (physical and breathing exercises combined with
automassage) • martial arts: wushu, wuqinxi (Five Animal Play), ju-jitsu Various forms of physical training for military purposes• archery• charioteering • long-distance wrestling• football (cuju)• head-butting
Japan• sumo (wrestling)• kemari (kickball)• dakyu (polo)• kyudo (archery)• jiu-jitzu (judo)• karate
MesopotamiaBoxing Archery
Wrestling Running
Boxing Rellief, c.2000 B.C. from Tell Asram Gilgamesh the Wrestler
Hittites
Bull leaping scene on a Hittite vase from Huseyindede Tepesi, 1565-1540 BCE
For more on bull-leaping, see Philippe Guillaume (Professor of Old Testament at the Near East School of Theology, Beirut) and Noga Blockman (Archaeology department of the University of Tel Aviv)
Nubia
carved reliefs of Nubian wrestlers and men engaged in "karate" and stick fighting demonstrations on Temple of Medinet Habu
Journal of Sport History, Vol. 15, No. 2 (Summer, 1988)Wrestling in Ancient NubiaScott T. CarrollDept. of History, Gordon College
EgyptPharaoh’s demonstrations of skill
chariot driving archery
huntingrunning
Chariot ArcheryThe king often boasted of his physical prowess. He recorded, “…he entered into his northern garden and found that there had been set up for him four targets of Asiatic copper of one palm in their thickness, with 20 cubits between one post and its fellow. Then his majesty appeared in a chariot like Montu [the god of war] in his power. He grasped his bow and gripped four arrows at the same time. So he rode northward, shooting at them like Montu in his regalia. His arrows had come out on the back thereof while he was attacking another post. It was really a deed which had never been done nor heard of by report: shooting at a target of copper an arrow which came out and dropped to the ground except for the king…” (ANET 244). [Clifford Wilson]
Relief of Amenhotep II in his chariot firing arrows at a copper ingot target, Temple of Amun, Thebes, Egypt.
Djoser Pyramid
Djoser, Third Dynasty, c.2650 B.C.
Sed Festival: Pharaoh Running
Jubilee Run
More on Djoser
Hatshepsut’s Jubilee Run
Scene showing the Pharaoh Hatshepsut (1490-1468) performing the rites of her 30th anniversary jubilee, which included running around a special area to show her prowess.
Egypt
Wrestling (Tomb of Baket at Beni Hasan (c.2000 B.C.)
Running Stela of King TaharqaThis stela is a unique record from Egypt of a long-
distance race held in circa 684 B.C.E. In typical Egyptian fashion the winner is not named.
[Sixth year, third month] . . . under the majesty of . . . Taharqa . . . given eternal life.
His Majesty commanded that [a stela] be erected [at] the back of the western desert to the west of the palace and
that its title be "Running Practice of the Army of the Son of the Sun Taharqa, may he live forever." His
Majesty commanded that his army, raised up on his behalf, daily run [in] its five [sections].
Accordingly, His Majesty said to the men: "How lovely that is, which my Father Amon has made! No other king
has done the like. He has arranged for the decapitation of the People of the Bow. The nine Peoples of the Bow are
bound.....
Assyrian Lion Hunt Frieze
Palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh, c. 645British Museum