Long before the snowmobile, our ancestors found an environmentally friendly way to get around in the snow—the sledge. In fact, the sledge (and variations on its theme) was key in many areas of ancient life.
A sled is a vehicle that moves by sliding across the ground. Sleighs are horse-drawn vehicles, with passenger seating. Sledges tend to be large vehicles consisting of a wooden base mounted on smooth runners, useful for transporting large objects. Evidence of wooden sledge usage reaches back to 7000 B.C.E., to peoples living in the Arctic regions of northern Europe. Initially sledges may have been pulled by humans, but with time dogs and oxen were commandeered to take the strain. Inuits have used dog-sleds since pre-Columbian times. Sledge use has extended to hotter climates, too, including the dry, dusty lands of Mesopotamia.
Exactly where and when the sledge was developed is unknown, but it is likely that it was developed independently by different communities in the world Human-pulled sledges were key in man's early expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. In the twentieth century, dog teams of Huskies were used to tow sleds on expeditions. More recently, kites have been used to tow sleds. They use wind power, so fewer resources need be carried on the sledges.
In today's world the sledge is used in sport and leisure. A small sled with rounded edges at the front can provide hours of fun in the form of a toboggan. Bobsledding is a sport featuring in the Winter Olympics, where teams of competitors race down tracks in a specially streamlined vehicle.
