The Mysterious Hittite Rollerskates
15:47:37 | blatant absurdity

For the illustration you must go here... I couldNOT figure out how to get it here..

http://www.binref.com/phluzein/archives/-2004/03/24/the_mysterious_hittite_rollerskates.php


Adapted from: Laroche, E. Les Hiéroglyphes Hittites (Paris 1960)

Sign #91 from Laroche's book of Luwian/Hittite hieroglyphs remains a mystery to the present day. Laroche gives no interpretation for what this sign might conceivably mean and certainly does not offer the following obvious (though unlikely) explanation for the use of this sign. Simply put, that the Late Bronze Age Hittites enjoyed zipping around Carchemish on curly-toed rollerblades...

Unfortunately, there is no other evidence for rollerskating in the latter day Hittite empire. There are no extant Hittite texts describing the details of this leisure activity, no ancient roller-discos have ever been excavated, nor have any rollerskates ever been found in the remains of burials from this period (after all, one would expect to find such objects to accompany their owners to the afterlife).

So, sadly the mysterious rollerskate sign may never be truly understood and we may never be able to answer important questions such as whether rollerskating was a popular activity or simply a passing fad at the royal court.