During the winter years of my youth, you could usually find me shooting down the ice-covered street in front of our house on my American Flyer sled. In fact most days, you’d be hard pressed to find me anywhere else. Other than a really good snowball fight, there wasn’t anything more exhilarating. Sure it was low-tech, but that didn’t mean it was low fun. Reflecting back on those days got me to thinking about the origin of the sled. After considerable research, I present to you my findings.
The first recorded use of using “runners” to carry a transport over snow without the use of horse or oxen can be traced back to 58 BC in Alesia, Chaux-des-Crotenay in French Jura (near modern Alise-Sainte-Reine, France). The occasion was the Battle of Alesia (aka Siege of Alesia) between the Roman Republic led by Julius Caesar and a confederation of Gallic tribes under the lead of Vercingetorix of the Averni.
Alesia (occupied by 80,000 Gallic soldiers in addition to citizens) was a fort strategically situated at the top of a plateau flanked by river valleys. Its natural defensive features warded off any type of frontal assault. The only viable option left to Caesar was to lay siege to the city and starve out his enemies. To ensure victory, Caesar ordered fortifications built around the city to completely close off any means of re-supply. Archaeological excavations of the site reveal that the wooden fortifications were roughly 4 meters high and spanned a distance of nearly 18 kilometers to completely encircle the city. The “wall” was completed in little more than 3 weeks.
The Gauls would have to surrender or starve in they couldn’t breach the wall to replenish supplies. Their first attempt came about two weeks later. Armaments along the fortifications (wall) gave the Roman Army a decisive advantage against any ground assault. That advantage led to the total loss of life for the first detachment of Gallic cavalry to attempt such action.
Fire arrows couldn’t inflect the degree of damage on the wooden wall necessary to breach the fortification. Vercassivellaunus, a cousin of Vercingetorix, devised a plan to commandeer wooden planks from battle stricken homes, graph them side-by-side to the reach of his arm and then affix runners to the bottom. The Gauls would strap burning oil pots to the planks and send the unmanned sleds down the snow-covered hill to the Roman fortification below. The first assault proved the worthiness of the idea and nearly led to victory for the Gallic army. But before a more substantial attack could be mounted, Caesar ordered the construction of ditches in front of the fortification and then diverted water into the ditches from the rivers. Such ended the last hope of the Gallic army. With no relief in site, Vercingetorix presented his arms to Julius Caesar and put an end to the siege of Alesia.
This is the first record of what we know as the modern sled. Now that you’ve heard the account, it’s up to you to decide. What is fact and what is fiction? Until next time, lie low and let the cool breath of winter chill your cheeks. J/W
