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Handball1 min read

Oldest Football Scanned Digitally: Researchers build 3D twin; visitors examine it virtually

Unveiling a sports artifact from history, a leather football from the 1540s was found at Stirling Castle, Scotland. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest of its kind, this discovery has astounded researchers.
Oldest Football Scanned Digitally: Researchers build 3D twin; visitors examine it virtually

A leather football that dates to around 1540 has spent centuries behind the walls of Stirling Castle and was discovered during renovation work in the late 1970s. The ball was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest football, and was found behind panelling in the Queen’s Chamber at Stirling Castle in Scotland. The chamber had been decorated in the 1540s, when Mary, Queen of Scots, was a child at the castle. The ball itself is dated to between 1540 and 1570, according to the Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum , which now holds it.

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It was published on October 1, 2026 and last updated on October 9, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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