Ancient Ball

Ancient Ball

Kicking a ball or any object comparable to it has always been an enjoyable activity. History had proven that the game seemed to be the all-time-favourite among human ages ago.

It is interesting to learn from the history that early balls varied from stitched up cloth, human and animal skull to pig or cow bladder. In fact, even the human’s head were being used as a ball. This showed that people in the early years, by many means, tried to enjoy the art of kicking a ‘ball’.

History reported that the Chinese community during Ts’in and Han Dynasties (255 BC – 220 AD) played the game related to ball kicking called ‘tsu-chu’. In this game, the ball, made by animal-skin, were dribbled through gaps in a net stretched between two poles.

Based on history, in other parts of the world, the ancients of Egyptian, Greek and Roman also played game, football of a kind, as their routine. According to pre-medieval legend, the game involved one village versus another village. The villagers of each team would try to gain point by kicking the skull in the opponent village’s square.

The Medieval tradition was to take pig bladders used from live stock killed in preparation for winter nourishment and blow up them. Using their feet and hands, the game was played in the way of keeping the "ball" in the air.

However, eventually the animal bladder balls were covered with leather for better shape preservation.

Nevertheless, no matter how the pattern of the games and the balls varied, it still shared the same spirit, excitement and amusement.