These three spheres terrify experts due to their contents of human hair and animal skin.
In 1970, a group of Chinese archaeologists discovered approximately 3,000 ancient tombs in the area near Turfan City in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. After cross-referencing with historical documents, they identified this as the Yanghai Cemetery. The tombs in this cemetery were arranged in an orderly manner.
Ancient tombs discovered in Yanghai Cemetery near Turfan City in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. (Photo: Sohu)
Subsequently, in 2003, a research team led by Dr. Patrick Wertmann from the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies at the University of Zurich (Switzerland) excavated this group of ancient tombs. Among the tombs, they found three peculiar leather spheres.
Dr. Patrick Wertmann stated that at first glance, these three spheres appeared quite eerie to experts because they were stuffed with… human hair and some bits of animal skin. The outer layer covering them was made of sheep skin.
Radiocarbon dating revealed that the spheres were created between 1189 and 911 BC, approximately 2,900 to 3,200 years ago.
The strange leather spheres discovered by archaeologists in three ancient tombs. (Photo: ABC).
But what were these spheres created for? Why do they contain hair and animal skin?
These spheres are roughly the size of baseballs. The outer layer was used to wrap whatever was inside and tied together. The three spheres were also marked with red crosses. In terms of shape, they are quite similar to balls described in a text dated from 195 AD.
Ancient depiction of horseback ball games on ancient murals. (Photo: ABC).
Later, Wertmann’s team correlated their findings with balls found in Tang Dynasty tombs excavated at different sites. The balls from the Tang Dynasty were used in horseback games and played with sticks. This was a type of game popular among the ancient Chinese aristocracy and bears many similarities to today’s polo. From these similarities, experts hypothesize that these human hair spheres were part of horseback games played with sticks. Thus, these three balls are at least half a millennium older than the oldest balls ever excavated in Eurasia.
Wertmann stated: “Because the balls show signs of impact, we concluded they were used in ball games. Furthermore, they are quite lightweight, so I don’t think they were used as hunting weapons.” However, the doctor acknowledged that this is one of several hypotheses as they did not find any sticks in the three tombs containing the human hair spheres. Nonetheless, other tombs in the Yanghai Cemetery, dating from the same period, have yielded some objects resembling sticks.
A mural depicting horseback ball games found in an ancient tomb in Shaanxi. (Photo: Sohu).
According to Wertmann’s assessment, if their team’s hypothesis is correct, this discovery also reveals much more about the history of ball games in general. Thus, around 3,000 years ago, horseback ball games were highly developed at that time. They were not only a form of physical exercise but also an important military training method during that period. This also indicates that sports have been an integral part of human social life.
