3,000 Years Old Leather Balls Found in China

Found Inside Leather Covers

An international team of researchers from Switzerland, Germany, and China carried out their studies in tombs of the prehistoric Yanghai cemetery near the city of Turfan in Xinjiang (Northwest China). They found three leather balls enclosed in a leather case tied together with a band. In two of them, red crosses were marked on the outer leather cover. The balls measured between 7.4 and 9.2 cm in diameter. Radiocarbon dating revealed that they were around 2,900 to 3,200 years old. Two of the three balls were found in the tomb of two horsemen. Preserved remains of a bow and a pair of trousers were also found with them.

The researchers are yet to find out the usage of balls in those days. But it indicates that balls were used for leisure activities and ball games were a part of physical exercise and military training.