Editing Ice skating (section)

===Early history of ice skating===
[[File:SCENEONICE.jpg|thumb|''Skating fun'' by 17th century Dutch painter Hendrick Avercamp|200x200px]]Research suggests that the earliest ice skating happened in southern [[Finland]] more than 4,000 years ago. This was done to save energy during winter journeys. True skating emerged when a steel blade with sharpened edges was used. Skates now cut into the ice instead of gliding on top of it. The [[Netherlands|Dutch]] added edges to [[ice skate]]s in the 13th or 14th century. These ice skates were made of steel, with sharpened edges on the bottom to aid movement.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brokaw |first=Irving |title=The Art of Skating: Its History and Development, with Practical Directions |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F8lMAAAAYAAJ |year=1910 |publisher=Letchworth at the Arden Press & Fetter Lane |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=F8lMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA12 12] |access-date=6 May 2019 |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413055940/https://books.google.com/books?id=F8lMAAAAYAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The fundamental construction of modern ice skates has stayed largely the same since then, although differing greatly in the details, particularly in the method of binding and the shape and construction of the steel blades. In the [[Netherlands]], ice skating was considered proper for all classes of people, as shown in many pictures from [[Dutch Golden Age painter]]s.

Ice skating was also practiced in China during the [[Song dynasty]], and became popular among the ruling family of the [[Qing dynasty]].<ref name=pdo130220/> Ancient ice skates, made of animal bones, were found at the bronze age Gaotai Ruins in [[North West China|north west China]], and are estimated to be likely 3,500 years old. Archeologists say these ancient skates are "clear evidence for communication between [[China]] and [[Europe]]" in the [[Bronze Age Europe|Bronze Age era]], as they are very similar to bone skates unearthed in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-02 |title=Animal Bone Ice Skates Dating Back 3,500 Years Found In China |url=https://www.iflscience.com/animal-bone-ice-skates-dating-back-3-500-years-found-in-china-67780 |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=IFLScience |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author1=Tom Metcalfe |date=2023-03-07 |title=Bronze Age ice skates with bone blades discovered in China |url=https://www.livescience.com/bronze-age-ice-skates-with-bone-blades-discovered-in-china |access-date=2023-06-10 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref>