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Infographic Shows 10,000 Years of Skiing

(Daniela Santamarina, NGM Staff; Debbie Gibbons, NG Maps; Patricia Healy; Source : Esther Jacobson-Tepfer)

(Daniela Santamarina, NGM Staff; Debbie Gibbons, NG Maps; Patricia Healy; Source : Esther Jacobson-Tepfer)

National Geographic has a new article that details the importance of skiing in human history, an invention which came into existence around the same time as the wheel, and enabled cold climate hunters from Sweden to Mongolia to travel through mountainous terrain.

While the competitors' skis in Sochi are a little more high tech than the cedar planks lined with horsehair they used in 8000 B.C., it is pretty fascinating to see how they have evolved. You can check out the full interactive infographic here.

[h/t FastCo]