Wrestling is another ancient sport whose origins are difficult to trace as it is depicted throughout the art of several early civilizations. Along with running, wrestling was first depicted by the people who lived near the Lascaux caves in France over 15,300 years ago.
Some of the first depictions of wrestling as a sport can be traced back to the Sumerians, who lived around 5,000 years ago. Wrestling was also practiced by the ancient Egyptians as evidenced by the several wrestling scenes found in tombs at Beni Hasan. Historians believe that wrestling has been featured as an Olympic Sport since at least 704 BCE. Disclaimer: Mankind’s earliest sports grew out of survival skills. Wrestling is considered one of the very first, with depictions found in the Lascaux cave paintings in France dating back over 15,000 years. Running also has prehistoric roots, since speed was crucial for both hunting and escaping danger; by around 3,000 BCE, footraces were already being held in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the very first Olympic event in Greece in 776 BCE was a sprint known as the stadion.
