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The concept of trying to knock objects over from a distance
is so simple; that it is easy to believe this type of game has been around
for a long time. If British anthropologist, Sir Flinders Petrie, was correct,
then the collection of objects he discovered in the 1930's in a child's
grave in Egypt may have been used for a crude form of bowling. That would
date the origins of the game to 5200 BC or earlier.
This game was played with 10 stone "pins" and a stone
ball rolled through a marble arch. Similar implements were used in the
ancient Polynesian game of ula maika. Here, the "pins" were 60 feet away
from the bowler, a distance still in use today.
It's possible these early games were used to hone skills
for warriors or hunters. They could also have been part of religious ceremonies.
This was the case for the origins of the modern game of bowling. Originating
in Germany around 300 AD, it became a customary test of faith in many
churches for the worshiper to set up his Kegel (a club, used for protection)
as a target, and then roll a rock in an attempt to knock it down. Those
who could pass this test were considered free from sin. Martin Luther
has been credited with coming up with nine pins for this "game." Transforming
from a religious ceremony to a secular game, bowling spread throughout
Europe like wildfire, eventually following colonists to the new world.
Although the British brought lawn bowling (involving no pins) and skittles
with them, it is widely believed that modern bowling developed from the
Dutch version. One of the earliest mentions of bowling in the US is in
the 1818 Washington Irving novel, Rip Van Winkle.
By this time, bowling was being played throughout the
world, but the rules varied wildly from country to country, and even from
area to area. No one is really sure when the tenth pin was added, but
in 1875, nine bowling clubs in the New York area got together to form
the National Bowling Association to begin to standardize the game. Debate
continued for many years between this organization and other bowling clubs,
but on September 9, 1895, the American Bowling Congress was organized
in Beethoven Hall in New York. Finally, the groups all began working together.
The rules and standards, which are still in place today, were finally
created.
Today, more than 100 million people worldwide enjoy bowling.
The addition of automatic scoring machines has made it easy for even sheer
beginners to enjoy a game. The popularity keeps growing, and a movement
is on among many players to get the sport added as an Olympic medal event.
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