You probably clicked on this post simply because you thought it may be an error or just curious why TRR would have anything about Egypt...let alone 5200 B.C.
The answer is simple; according to many sources, the history of bowling dates back to a child's tomb that housed various devices that could be construed as an ancient form of bowling. According to Bowl.com, some of the items found comprised of a stone ball and nine pieces of stone, which would have to be rolled through a surrounding structure (Bowl.comAboutUs).
After Egypt, the history of bowling travels the world and there are many opinions as to who modernized it; from Germany, to Yemen, Polynesia, or Finland. No doubt, each of them had a version of bowling, which may be somewhat similar to the version today, but most historians agree on one thing; Rip Van Winkle invented bowling. Just kidding...but we can date back the first mention of bowling to Washington Irving's short story when Rip Van Winkle wakes up to the sound of "crashing ninepins" (Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame).
Interestingly, just like pinball, the history of bowling has a dark side, in which many States started to ban bowling because there were too many people gambling on the game. And like pinball, enter an unsung hero, Joe Thum, who gathered a group of bowling clubs and established the American Bowling Congress, giving bowling a legitimacy it desperately needed.
If you wish to read more on the history of bowling, three articles the TRR team found noteworthy are below. If you want to add anything to this content or rebuke a fact, please reach out to us!
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