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We have a lot of records about the Ancient Olympic Games, but what about before then? Were there even older athletic events?
The answer is yes! The first civilizations in Old Egypt and Mesopotamia, millennia before the Games in Classic Greece, already had a tradition of athletics. This is proved by literary and iconographic sources describing athletic scenes as far back as 3,000 BC.
In Egypt and Mesopotamia, the interest in athletic activities was recorded on temples and tombs. The sports in Old Egypt included: wrestling, boxing, acrobatics, stick fighting, archery, boating, equestrian events and ball games.
But, don't think sports were a popular activity in Old Egypt! The strongest evidence is that the athletic events were restricted to the dominant social classes. Ancient Egyptian texts shows that physical activity was very important in the education of the Pharaoh and members of the court.
Besides Old Egypt and Mesopotamia, other civilizations, including pre-classic Greece, already practiced athletic activities before the Ancient Olympic Games.
Myceneans
& Minoans
The Minoans, a civilization that inhabited the Island of Crete from 2,100 to 1,100 BC, had a special interest in gymnastics. Their frescoes suggest that athletic activities were practiced by
members of the nobility in areas near the palace.
The bull had a strong importance in the Minoan culture (remember the Minotaur legend) and took part in the sports events through the "bull-leaping". Yes, the athletes jumped over living, and maybe unfriendly, bulls!
Other sports practiced by the Minoans included: wrestling, boxing and acrobatics. Research indicates that there was a strong religious aspect in the athletic events.
The Myceneans (1,600 - 1,100 BC) adopted the Minoans' sports and included chariot racing and track events. As well as the Minoan Crete, sports had a strong religious side. The Myceneans' favorite sports were boxing and wrestling.
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