Skates Made of Bone: A History

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Ice skates made from animal bones were used in Europe for millennia before metal-bladed skates were invented. Bronze Age archaeological sites have yielded thousands of examples. They are often mentioned in popular books on the Vikings and sometimes appear in children’s literature.

Even after metal skates became the norm, people in rural areas continued to use bone skates into the early 1970s. Today, bone skates help scientists and re-enactors understand migrations and interactions among ancient peoples.

This book explains how to make and use them and chronicles their history, from their likely invention in the Eurasian steppes to their disappearance in the modern era.