Top 5 Ancient Sports With the Longest History

Sports, in one form or another, have existed from time immemorial. It goes beyond the beginning of the Olympics, and some of the oldest sports with the longest history still exist. During ancient times, games were built around weapons used for survival or simply did not need any equipment for people to play them. 

Some ancient sports developed simultaneously across nations from the need for human movement. Their origins may remain a mystery, but we can trace their early depictions back to prehistoric times.

1. Sprinting/Running - Sport That Needs No Equipment

Since running as an activity does not need any equipment, it was the oldest sport that civilizations took to naturally. Officially, it began as a foot race at the first Olympics in 776 BCE, but its earliest depictions date back to the Upper Paleolithic era, circa 15,300 years ago. It was found first in the Lascaux caves in France. 

Running as a sporting activity has evolved over the last four and a half million years. Early recordings of sprinting as a competitive sport were found in Ireland in 1829 BCE. Since then, It's been finetuned into a diverse set of athletics and track and field activities that people from across the nations compete in regularly. 

2. Wrestling - A Grappling Combat Sport

Like running, wrestling is another ancient sport that has its origins dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era, c. 15,300 years ago. It was the Sumerians who first competed in wrestling some 5000 years ago. The early depictions of it were also by those who lived in the Lascaux caves of France.

Initially, wrestling started as a mock combat portraying martial arts practiced extensively in Egypt. Historians found evidence of the sport at the Beni Hasan tombs. It is believed that the combat sport of today officially began its journey when the Olympics were held in 704 BCE. The ancient sport of wrestling has had many twists and turns, taking on many forms, most of which are practiced professionally in recent times. 

3. Archery - The Precision Sport of Using the Bow and Arrow

Bow and arrow were brought into existence for survival by early civilizations that primarily used them for hunting. They were invented during 20000 BCE towards the end of the Upper Paleolithic era. Since then, they have slowly transformed into weapons used on battlefields before taking the permanent form of sports widely practiced across the countries. 

The Egyptians were the first to use archery as a tool for hunting and warfare, but soon other ancient civilizations, such as the Indians, Persians, and Japanese, joined in; Skilled archers became a vital part of the armies. Archery made its Olympic debut in 1900 as a competitive sport, becoming a mainstay event in 1972 and after. 

4. Swimming - First Introduced as a Men's Sport 

In 1933, a Hungarian explorer László Ede Almásy found the "Cave of Swimmers," a cave full of ancient rock art in the mountainous Gilf Kebir plateau of the Libyan desert. The drawings depicted people indulging in the swimming activity with limbs showing them doing the doggy paddle or the breaststroke. Created as early as circa 6000 BCE, the portrayals strongly indicated the existence of swimming during that time. 

It was in the 1800s that swimming became a competitive sport when the National Swimming Society of England organized competitions. Since it gained traction immediately, other countries caught on, and eventually, it was introduced as a men's sport during the 1896 Olympic Games held in Athens.

5. Boxing - The Ancient Ungloved Version of the Sport

Today's Boxing is slightly different from how it started in 3000 BCE. This oldest sport has its origins in the Sumerian civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia. The early depiction shows two men with their arms bent, and their fists cinched and facing off with each other as if ready to fight, which is a classic boxing pose. 

For centuries, many cultures boxed with bare fists until the Minoan introduced the gloved fists concept, which was later adopted into the Olympics from 688 BCE. Besides the boxing gloves that became a mandatory addition to the sport, boxers protected their hands by wrapping them with leather thongs.

The charm of these five ancient sports hasn't waned a bit over centuries, with more people actively competing in them regionally and internationally. These sports are the mainstay competitive sports in the Olympics, where participants from across continents give their best.