A brief history of sewing

[Dave]

Sewing, the art of attaching together objects with a needle and thread is not new to mankind. It dates back to prehistoric era.  Archaeologists believe that almost 25000 years ago, during the last ice age, man used to sew together fur, hide, skin and bark for clothing using a needle and a thread.

They have discovered needles with eyes made from animal bones, ivory and antler. There are also records of wood and natural needles from the agave plant being used as needles by Native Americans.

The oldest known iron sewing needles came from the Celtic Hill fort at Manching, Germany and dated back to third century BC. Chinese archaeologists have also found a complete set of sewing needles and thimbles in the tomb of a minor official from the Han Dynasty (202 BC -220 AD). This is the oldest known thimble in the records of history. Thimble is a device that helps push needles through tough and resistant surfaces like animal skins and bark. It was first made from bone, wood and bark, and later made from leather, glass and porcelain. The thimble also became an ornament when people started studding it with precious stones and metals.