Innovation No. 59 of 77 in the book
Team Sports
Organized team play, first recorded in Middle Kingdom tombs
- When
- c. 2000 BCE
- Dynasty
- 11th Dynasty
- Era
- Middle Kingdom
Organized team games with rules show up first on Egyptian tomb walls, painted around 2000 BCE at Beni Hasan.
One scene shows two players facing off with curved sticks over a small ball on the ground — a game strikingly like field hockey, right down to a face-off start.
Others show ball games, catch and elaborate team gymnastics — structured play with sides and rules, not just children messing about.
The idea of a team sport was first drawn on the Nile.
The scenes are in the Middle Kingdom tombs at Beni Hasan, around 2000 BCE: Tomb 17, belonging to the regional governor Khety, and Tomb 15, belonging to his father Baqet III. What lifts this above casual play is that three elements appear together — purpose-made sticks, a manufactured ball, and a fixed way of starting the contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close is it really to field hockey?
The starting posture is nearly identical. Two players lean into mirrored crouches, knees bent, sticks crossed directly over a small ball on the ground — functionally the same as the bully-off used in field hockey into the twentieth century.
What else is shown at Beni Hasan?
Ball games, catch, and organised team gymnastics — activities with sides, sequences and rules, which is what separates sport from play.