Kalvträskskidan
Encyclopedia
Kalvträskskidan is possibly the oldest ski
ever found. It was found in the autumn of 1924, as a group of men digging a ditch through a mire near the village of Kalvträsk near Skellefteå
encountered some wooden objects at a depth of 1.5 metres. They carefully extracted the objects that turned out to be two skis measuring 204 cm by 15.5 cm and a shovel shaped ski pole measuring 156 cm. The objects were kept in a shed that winter before being turned in to a museum the following summer. By that time one of the skis had started to wither and fall apart, so that only a few fragments of it remain. Thankfully the other ski is still more or less intact.
An original dating using pollen from the site suggested that the skis were 4000 years old, but later carbon dating has shown that they are in fact 5200 years old, i.e. older than the pyramids of ancient Egypt
. An analysis made in 1992 by the Forest Sciences faculty of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
showed that the skis were made from pine that had grown in a slope, causing the wood to become denser than ordinary. This shows good craftmansship, since this type of wood has been favoured by ski makers in more recent times as well. Each ski had four holes for the bindings, which corresponds well with ancient skis found in Siberia
, but not typical of other skis found in Scandinavia
. The ski pole is similar to ski poles used in historic times by the Sami people
in northern Scandinavia.
The ski is kept at the Swedish Ski Museum which is housed at the Västerbotten Museum in Umeå
.
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
ever found. It was found in the autumn of 1924, as a group of men digging a ditch through a mire near the village of Kalvträsk near Skellefteå
Skellefteå
-Industry:*Boliden AB, a big mining and smelting company*Alimak*Natural User Interface Technologies AB - NUITEQ, a promising emerging technology start-up company-Sports:*Skellefteå AIK, an ice hockey team in the highest Swedish league, Elitserien....
encountered some wooden objects at a depth of 1.5 metres. They carefully extracted the objects that turned out to be two skis measuring 204 cm by 15.5 cm and a shovel shaped ski pole measuring 156 cm. The objects were kept in a shed that winter before being turned in to a museum the following summer. By that time one of the skis had started to wither and fall apart, so that only a few fragments of it remain. Thankfully the other ski is still more or less intact.
An original dating using pollen from the site suggested that the skis were 4000 years old, but later carbon dating has shown that they are in fact 5200 years old, i.e. older than the pyramids of ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
. An analysis made in 1992 by the Forest Sciences faculty of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences or Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet is a university in Sweden. Although its head office is located in Ultuna, Uppsala, the university has several campuses in different parts of Sweden, the other main facilities being Alnarp in Lomma Municipality, Skara,...
showed that the skis were made from pine that had grown in a slope, causing the wood to become denser than ordinary. This shows good craftmansship, since this type of wood has been favoured by ski makers in more recent times as well. Each ski had four holes for the bindings, which corresponds well with ancient skis found in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, but not typical of other skis found in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. The ski pole is similar to ski poles used in historic times by the Sami people
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
in northern Scandinavia.
The ski is kept at the Swedish Ski Museum which is housed at the Västerbotten Museum in Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
.
External links
- The Västerbotten Museum
- Skelleftebygdens Lokalhistoriska Förening - The Historical Society of the Skellefteå region
- SLU - the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences