Skates like this, unearthed along with many others near Moorfields in London, were in use until the latter part of the 12th century. Speed was apparently obtained, not by a stroke of the skate, but by pushing with a piked staff. Specimens of this type of skate, dating back from 700 to 1000 AD, have also been discovered in Sweden. This example was made from the cannon bone of a horse.
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