28 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

New evidence for early regional exchanges in Eurasia: Ice skates made of animal bones over 3,000 years old

Chinese archaeologists have discovered ancient ice skates made of animal bones at the Gaotai Ruins in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China.

Announcing the incredible find at a recent press conference, researchers said the ancient skates were created from ox and horse bones and are likely to be over 3,000 years old.

Xinjiang, located at the crossroads of China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, is a mountainous region widely regarded as the birthplace of skiing. Cave paintings discovered in the Altai mountain range around 10,000 years ago appear to depict hunters on skis, while the Altai people who live in the area maintain an ancient tradition of hand-crafting wooden skis for transportation.

The skates were discovered in a tomb from the 16th and 15th centuries BC in the Gaotai Ruins, about 240 miles (385 kilometers) west of the regional capital Ürümqi, according to Ruan Qiurong, a researcher with the regional institute of cultural relics and archaeology in Xinjiang.

It is unknown if the skates were used for daily transportation or for hunting. They are made of a straight piece of bone with holes drilled into it at either end, allowing them to be fastened to shoes. In contrast to modern skates, the resulting “blade” is incredibly flat, but it served as a cutting edge that made it possible for the wearer to glide across the ice.

Photo: Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Photo: Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

Though it’s unclear whether the ice skates were used for hunting, transportation, or something else, archaeologists say they’re very similar to bone skates discovered in ancient Europe. They claim that this demonstrates clear evidence of communication between China and Europe during the Bronze Age.

The discovery offers new evidence for early regional exchanges in Eurasia and provides precious materials for studying the origins of skating in China, says Ruan.

Dozens of wooden vehicle parts, including 11 solid wooden wheels, were also discovered at the burial site, along with hundreds of pottery pieces, stone tools, animal bones, and bronzeware, among other relics.

Buried wooden vehicle parts. Photo: Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology
Buried wooden vehicle parts. Photo: Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

“Judging by the scattered pieces, we believe that these wooden vehicle parts were deserted by their owners, detached on purpose, and buried during establishing the tomb,” excavation team leader Ruan Qiurong reportedly explained at the press conference.

The Gaotai Ruins are “the largest, highest-[class], and best-preserved stone tomb architectural remains of the Bronze Age found in Xinjiang and even the Eurasian [landmass],” according to the Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology.

Cover Photo: An animal bone skate unearthed from Gaotai Ruins. Xinjiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

Related Articles

Viennese Archaeologists Find LEGIO XIII GEMINA Bricks

1 February 2024

1 February 2024

The fourth oldest school in Vienna, the Kindermanngasse Elementary School, is being completely renovated. As part of the renovation of...

Medieval Mummy Seized in Niğde, Türkiye, Amidst Smuggling Crackdown

12 March 2025

12 March 2025

Authorities in Türkiye have detained six individuals in the Bor district of Niğde, who were allegedly attempting to sell an...

Turkey’s second ancient lighthouse found in the Bathonea

28 July 2023

28 July 2023

The excavations in the ancient Greek city of Bathonea, located in the Küçükçekmece Lake basin in the Avcılar district of...

Artifacts found in Japan could be prototypes of ninja weapons

14 January 2022

14 January 2022

Artifacts discovered in the ruins of structures associated with warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s 1590 Siege of Odawara may be prototypes of...

A Symbol of Elite Roman Luxury: Frescoed Villa with Fish Pond Discovered in Tripolis

19 July 2025

19 July 2025

A newly uncovered 1,600-year-old Roman villa in the ancient city of Tripolis dazzles with its colorful frescoes, sophisticated architecture, and...

India’s Ancient ‘Dwarf Chambers’: Hire Benkal’s 2,500-Year-Old Mysterious Megalithic Legacy

26 July 2025

26 July 2025

Tucked away in the rugged granite hills of Karnataka lies Hire Benkal, a vast prehistoric necropolis that silently guards the...

The Ancestors of Today’s Barbie Dolls “Coptic dolls”

23 September 2023

23 September 2023

For as long as there has been civilization, children have played with dolls. Wooden dolls with bead hair have been...

500-year-old curse tablet found in Germany

15 December 2023

15 December 2023

In the city of Rostock on Germany’s northern coast, archaeologists found a lead curse tablet invoking Satan and two other...

Bronze Age Settlement and Neolithic Relics Found at Skaņkalne Hillfort in Latvia

9 August 2025

9 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered remarkable evidence of ancient human habitation during the latest excavations at Skaņkalne Hillfort, offering fresh insights into...

An Unusual Artifact Points to Roman Britain Rituals Linked to Fertility, Painted Dog Penis Bone Found in England

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

In a Roman quarry shaft in Surrey, England, archaeologists have discovered one of the most unusual human and animal remains...

A Medieval Necropolis Discovered During Excavations at the site of the Future Bus Station in Sozopol, Bulgaria

4 April 2024

4 April 2024

A medieval necropolis was discovered during excavations at the construction site of a bus station in the old seaside town...

Four 1,900-year-old Roman swords found in Judean Desert

6 September 2023

6 September 2023

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced the discovery of four extremely well-preserved Roman swords hidden in a cave in the...

Researchers decipher enigmatic ancient ‘Unknown Kushan Script’

13 July 2023

13 July 2023

A research team at the University of Cologne’s Department of Linguistics deciphered a writing system belonging to the Kushan Empire,...

The 1000-year Curse of the Croatian King Zvonimir

26 September 2023

26 September 2023

Croatia is a fascinating country that continually rises up people’s must-visit lists thanks to its sparkling Adriatic coastline, 1,244 islands,...

New study: Humans engaged in large-scale warfare in Europe 5,000 years ago ‘1,000 years earlier than previously thought’

3 November 2023

3 November 2023

Hundreds of human remains unearthed from a burial site point to a  warfare between Stone Age people long before the...