Washington, Dec 24: Archaeological evidence has shown that skates made up of animal bones are the oldest human powered means of transport, dating back to 3000 BC.
Archaeological evidence has shown that skates made up of animal bones are the oldest human powered means of transport, dating back to 3000 BC.
A recent study led by Dr Formenti and Professor Minetti provided significant evidence backing the hypothesis that ice-skating originated in Southern Finland, where the number of lakes within 100 square kilometres is the highest in the world.
"In Central and Northern Europe, five thousand years ago people struggled to survive the severe winter conditions and it seems unlikely that ice skating developed as a hobby," said Formenti.
"As happened later for skis and bicycles, I am convinced that we first made ice skates in order to limit the energy required for our daily journeys," he added.
During the study, the researchers experimented with an ice rink by the Alps, and measured the energy consumption of people skating on bones there.
Mathematical models and computer simulations of 240 ten-kilometre journeys helped researchers reckon that in winter, the use of bone skates would have limited the energy requirements of Finnish people by 10 per cent
Their calculations also showed that the advantage given by the use of skates in other North European countries would be only about one per cent.
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