Wrestling, mankind’s oldest and most basic form of recreational combat, traces its origins back to the dawn of civilization. Wrestling and grappling sports have a long and complicated history, stretching into prehistoric times.
In the Ancient Mesopotamia, forms of belt wrestling were popular from earliest times. Carvings and drawings estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000 years old, found in caves in southern Europe, illustrate wrestlers in hold and leverage positions. Sumerians cast wrestlers in bold relief on stone slabs at least 5,000 years ago, antedating all other artifacts of ancient sport.
A small bronze statuette of wrestlers, apparently used as a vase, was unearthed in the ruins of Khafaji, 200 miles from Baghdad. This artifact, dated 2600 B.C., now is housed in the Iraqi national museum. Wrestling also reached a high stage of development in Egypt, where paintings of wrestlers dating to approximately 2500 B.C. have been found in lavish tombs of kings and other high officials.
It was not a brutal or theatrical display, like the choreographed sword duels shown in The Mummy Returns, but rather a structured and skilful activity that combined physical prowess with cultural and symbolic significance. From what is known, Egyptologists believe wrestling was never an entertaining fight to the death as seen within other ancient cultures, but rather a graceful and powerful sport steeped in meaning.
Whether practised in life or depicted in death, it stood as a testament to discipline, order, and enduring strength. Many of the world's oldest depictions of wrestling can be found in the Middle East. Carvings and statues show that forms of belt wrestling existed in the region since ancient times, in addition to matches between humans and animals. Wrestling is also mentioned in the epics of Gilgamesh and the Shahnameh.
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Egyptian Wrestling Single Leg Attacks
Earliest Documented Images
The earliest known images of wrestling appear during the Old Kingdom, around 2400 B.C., notably in the tomb of Ptahhotep at Saqqara. Portrayal of martial arts sporting in Egypt has begun by the time of the 5th Dynasty mastaba tombs at Saqqara, circa 2400 BC. After a boat joust scene recorded in the tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, who were manicurists to King Nyuserre, six pairs of boys wrestle in the nearby tomb of Akhethotep and Ptahhotep.
However, it is during the Middle Kingdom, particularly in the tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 B.C.), that wrestling is shown in its most elaborate form. This Middle Kingdom tomb features the most famous and extensive depiction of wrestling in Ancient Egypt. Over 400 individual scenes show men engaged in a wide range of wrestling holds and manoeuvres, painted in dynamic sequences. It is considered one of the most complete ancient records of wrestling techniques.
Another Middle Kingdom tomb features martial arts scenes, including wrestling alongside stick‑fighting. These images demonstrate key technical principles: immobilising opponents, throwing them, and even causing fractures when necessary.
Wrestlers from the tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 B.C.)
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The Role of Wrestling
Wrestling in Ancient Egypt was first and foremost a sport; competitive, intense, but non-lethal. It can be compared to modern Greco-Roman wrestling or even judo, with its focus on leverage, balance, and bodily control. Wrestlers typically wore only a loincloth and competed bare-chested, allowing for ease of movement.
Yet beyond sport, wrestling served several key roles. It was a common form of recreation and exercise, especially for young men, and it was also an essential component of military training. Soldiers were taught wrestling alongside stick-fighting and archery, as a practical means of preparing for hand-to-hand combat and strengthening discipline.
In royal contexts, wrestling tournaments were sometimes hosted by the pharaoh during festivals and jubilees, not only as entertainment but as symbolic affirmations of royal vitality and cosmic order. Wrestlers perform as part of a public celebration, suggesting its role in state ceremonies.
Painted limestone figure of wrestlers Middle Kingdom, c. 2040-1782 B.C.British Musuem. EA24701
Symbolic Significance
Scenes of athletic contests, including wrestling, were painted on tomb walls as part of the promise of a blissful afterlife. Just as banquets, music, and games were shown to ensure eternal joy, so too did scenes of sport ensure eternal strength and youthful vigour. Wrestling could also be viewed metaphorically, as a controlled contest between opposing forces; an embodiment of Ma’at (order, balance and harmony).
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Occasionally, small wooden models or statuettes of wrestling figures were placed in tombs, much like figures of bakers, brewers, or dancers, as magical provisions for the afterlife. These were not idle amusements but symbols of vitality and unending life.
Wrestlers’ Ostracon Painted limestone, 23 × 30 cm New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1400-1300 B.C.
This animated ostracon captures two wrestlers locked in a dynamic neck hold, poised at the opening of a ceremonial bout. Accompanied by a bold caption, “Behold, I will make you take a fall helpless, in front of the Pharaoh, may he live, be prosperous and healthy,” the scene likely depicts a royal spectacle, blending athletic competition with ritual and state ideology.
Key Depictions of Wrestling
Here are some key tombs and locations where wrestling is depicted:
- Tomb of Ptahhotep at Saqqara (Old Kingdom, c. 2400 B.C.): This tomb contains some of the earliest visual references to wrestling. Though less elaborate than Beni Hasan, the scenes still show men grappling in stylised but recognisable combat poses.
- Tomb of Baqet III at Beni Hasan (c. 2000 B.C.): This Middle Kingdom tomb features the most famous and extensive depiction of wrestling in Ancient Egypt. Over 400 individual scenes show men engaged in a wide range of wrestling holds and manoeuvres, painted in dynamic sequences.
- Tomb of Kheruef (TT192), Thebes, 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom): Wrestling is part of a larger festival scene in this high official’s tomb, linked to the Sed festival of Amenhotep III.
- Medinet Habu, Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III (20th Dynasty): Among various scenes of games, sports, and captives, foreign wrestlers are sometimes depicted, showing the international nature of such contests and perhaps their use in demonstrating Egyptian superiority.
These images demonstrate key technical principles: immobilising opponents, throwing them, and even causing fractures when necessary.
Thus, wrestling in Ancient Egypt was more than just a sport. It was an integral part of their culture, serving as a form of recreation, military training, and a symbolic expression of order and vitality.