When was the first needle invented? World history is a world court

HISTORY OF THE SEWING NEEDLE

Without a doubt, the ancient needles were of a completely different shape and made of a different material, however, they served exactly what modern needles serve for. That is, for sewing.

But it’s true, at all times, a small needle has been and still is one of those attributes that must be in every home.

The history of the sewing needle says that the first sewing needles were found in the southern part of France and Central Asia, and their age was 15-20 thousand years. Primitive people used a needle to sew clothes made from the skins of killed animals. The needles were made from fish bones, which were able to pierce thick skins.

Among the cultural states of antiquity, I would especially like to highlight Ancient Egypt, whose inhabitants not only knew how to sew with iron needles, but were also actively engaged in embroidery. Moreover, the history of the sewing needle among the Egyptians is supported by the fact that even then the needle was almost ideally shaped, very reminiscent of the modern needle we are used to, but with one thing…. She didn't have an eyelet for thread. The edge of the needle opposite the point was simply bent into a small ring.

In Russia there is also a history of the sewing needle; a decree prescribing the beginning of the production of sewing needles was first issued by Peter I, although needles were “brought” to the territory of the Russian Empire at the end of the 17th century. From those distant times to the present day, needles have been produced in the Ryazan region.

HISTORY OF THREADS

Before the invention of yarn and fabric, clothing was made from the fur and skins of hunted animals, using needles from bone or antler and "threads" from the sinews, veins or intestines of animals. Our ancestors - primitive people - pierced the skins with sharp hewn stones, sharp bones of large fish or large spikes, and then threaded tendons through these holes.

Weaving radically changed the life and appearance of man. Instead of animal skins, people put on clothes made from linen, wool or cotton fabrics, which have since become our constant companions. However, before our ancestors learned to weave, they had to perfectly master the weaving technique. Only after learning to weave mats from branches and reeds could people begin to “weave” threads.

Our ancestors even tended to perceive a person’s fate as a thread spun on a spinning wheel by a deity, which has its own beginning and end. It was believed that with the help of symbolic sewing, magical knitting, and weaving, it was possible to predict the future of a newborn, and then correct it during the course of life.

HISTORY OF THE THIMBLE

THIMBLE - the name comes from Russian. "finger" - finger. It appeared in Europe relatively recently. In the 80s 17th century One jeweler in Amsterdam made the first thimble, wanting to give his friend an item for her birthday that would protect her hard-working hands from needle pricks.

In Rus', thimbles came into fashion in the 1770s. and were an indispensable element of a sewing kit intended for aristocrats. Thimbles were made of copper, silver, bronze and even ivory.

CLOTHING IN Rus'

The creators of clothing in Rus' were called master blacksmiths. They constantly came up with new types of clothing, decorations for headdresses, made patterns, and decorated them. Clothing was divided depending on the status of the person. The ancient Russian people believed that clothes protected from evil spirits and dark forces, because they had special powers. Therefore, ancient Russian outfits had embroidery in the form of a Swastika, embroidered with a wooden needle and linen threads.

The main thing that was important for the Slavs in clothing was comfort, practicality, and warmth. Depending on the financial situation, the fabric of the caftan was chosen. The princes wore warm ones, with a fur collar and embroidered retinue. The preferred furs were sheepskin, beaver, rabbit, and fox. The collar was small, barely covering the neck. There were many buttons on outerwear, from eight to twelve.

As now, ancient Russian women and girls loved to dress beautifully. In women's clothing, preference was given to small details and embroidery. It was embroidered along the hem, on the sleeves, and around the neckline. Boyars and princesses wore rich dresses with sewn metal plates, peasant women wore a simple linen shirt with a belt. A woman's suit was not only warm, but also showed the woman's status. The fabric for dresses and suits was always linen, and the patterns were embroidered exclusively with red threads, because the color red among the Slavs symbolized health, fertility, fire, warmth, and protection.

Peasants wore simple clothes with a minimum of embroidery. It was not decorated with stones and ribbons. For work, for everyday wear, they wore a long sleeveless shirt. Despite all its simplicity in pattern and cheapness of fabric, peasant clothing was very warm and practical.

Ancient Russian wedding clothes for women were beautiful, neat, a real masterpiece. The girls sewed their wedding attire for themselves. They were helped by their mother, grandmother, and older sister. Usually the outfit was passed down from generation to generation. The bride's outfit showed the status of her family. They sewed dresses and sundresses from linen, chintz, and velvet. They decorated it with beads, ribbons, braid, and embroidered beautiful patterns with gold threads. For noble, rich brides, the outfit was as luxurious as possible. It was decorated with stones and pearls, so it was heavy and weighed up to twenty kilograms.

Invention of the needle

This small and necessary thing appeared almost by accident 20,000 BC. The very first needles with an eye, made from stones, bones or animal horns, were found in the territories of modern Western Europe and Central Asia about 17 thousand years ago. They became the heirs of what would now be designated as an awl.

The ancient man suddenly realized that the thread could not only be threaded into the hole formed by the awl, but also pulled. This was especially important for embroidery. It is thanks to this that needles with an eye became very widely used in Ancient Egypt. They even became something of a bargaining chip, because... It was extremely difficult to make bronze needles, and the best needles at that time were made from this alloy. Those. the needle also became the grandmother of future metal coins.

The first iron needles were found not in the Roman, but in the Celtic area, in Manching (now Bavaria), and they date back to the 3rd century BC. e.

In Africa, thick veins of palm leaves served as needles, to which threads also made from plants were tied. It is believed that the first steel needle was made in China. During its history, the needle has practically not undergone any significant changes and is now used almost in its original form. Only its dimensions and the materials from which it is made have changed.

Mass production of needles began only in the 14th century in Nuremberg, and then in England. The very first needle was made using mechanized production in 1785. But since 1850, the British seized the monopoly, creating special machines for the production of needles.

The history of the Russian needle industry began in 1717, when Russian merchants brothers Ryumin and Sidor Tomilin built two needle factories. These needles were used by the first wife of Peter I, Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, who became one of the most skilled embroiderers.

Interesting Facts:

1). A needle in a dream is a symbol of anxiety. Such a dream usually foreshadows troubles and a lot of worries.

2). Approximately 840 liters of water per day flows through a needle-wide stream of water.

3). One thousand seven hundred and ninety acupuncture needles were inserted into the head and face of Chinese man Wei Shengchu on March 23, 2004 in Nanning, China.

4). At the end of the needle in a sewing machine, pressure develops up to 5000 atmospheres. This pressure is enough to throw a projectile out of a cannon at a speed of 2000 m/sec. However, the same pressure is generated when the jaws of a pit bull terrier are compressed.

5). If you remove space from all the atoms of the human body, then what remains can fit into the eye of a needle.

With the advent of needles, people were able not only to sew stronger and more comfortable clothes, but also to decorate them with embroidery. In medicine, needles are used not only for traditional injections and droppers, but also for acupuncture.

The needle was and is often used in various pagan rituals. The most famous in this regard are probably Voodoo. This tribe uses a needle for spells. Among other things, the needle also has quite traditional uses. It is indispensable for making various things that require stitching: clothes, toys, interior items and much more. Thus, this item is constantly present in every housewife’s set. And needlewomen have a wide variety of needle variations. They have a saddlery needle, an embroidery needle, and a chenille needle.

Taking into account archaeological finds, we can say for sure that the history of sewing needles begins quite a long time ago, since they were used by people who lived before our era - 40,000 years ago. It is unknown, however, who exactly invented and created them, but there is information about when and where the first metal sewing needles appeared; before that they were made of bone.

The most ancient sewing needles made of metal were discovered by archaeologists in Bavaria, in Manching. It has been established that the time of their manufacture is the 3rd century BC. However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the needles could simply have been brought there. The eye of a sewing needle of that time was completely different from what it is now (a hole for thread, which is familiar to us), the blunt end of the needle was simply bent, thus forming a ring through which the thread passed. The needle, discovered in China, is believed to be the first sewing needle made from steel. And this happened in the 10th century BC.

There are two versions of how sewing needles came to Europe. According to one version, they were brought in the 8th century by people of the Moorish tribe, and if you adhere to another, then the needles were brought by Arab merchants in the 14th century.

An important event in the history of sewing needles was the invention of Damascus steel; it was from it that new generation needles began to be made. In Europe, the first factory was opened in 1370, where sewing needles began to be produced (they were without eyes). They were made by hand using the forging method. The production of sewing needles increased in volume after the drawing method began to be used to create wire in Europe (12th century).

In the 16th century (in Germany), the method of wire drawing became mechanized (this could be done using a hydraulic motor), and a revolution took place in the manufacture of sewing needles. At that time, the main production facilities were located in Germany (in Nuremberg), as well as in Spain. In 1556, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, needle manufacturing enterprises appeared in England.

The emergence of industrial production led to a decrease in prices for needles, which in turn made them a more affordable product, because before that time a tailor could only have 1-2 needles, no more. The creation in England of machines (1850) that made it possible to make eyelets (the same thing familiar to us) created a real revolution in the history of sewing needles and made the country a monopolist in the production of this product.

Hanseatic merchants brought steel sewing needles to Russia in the 17th century. Before that, tailors had to use iron and bronze needles. There were also silver needles, but only the rich used them. But they were not made from gold; this metal was not suitable for manufacturing because of its softness. In Russia, the industrial production of needles began in 1717. By decree of Peter I, two needle factories were built in the villages of Kolentsy and Stolbtsy (Ryazan region).

If in the Stone Age there was a patent office and a primitive man brought there an application for a sewing implement, which stated that “a needle is a pointed rod for sewing with an eye at the end”, all the inventors over the subsequent millennia could not have added anything, the needle is so perfect.

Perhaps not a single tool has passed so unchanged through the entire history of mankind. A fish bone with a hole made in its blunt end—that’s the whole invention.

But we still use this same “bone”, only made of metal. Some time after the creation of the bone needle (it is very fragile!) they began to look for a replacement for it. Thorn thorns were used, then needles began to be made of bronze and iron. Steel appeared in Europe in the 14th century, when they learned the secret of durable Damascus steel. At first they didn’t know how to make an eyelet—they just bent the blunt tip. The appearance of the drawing board greatly facilitated the production of needles and improved their appearance.

The steel needle was brought to Russia in the 17th century from Germany by Hanseatic merchants. And soon Russian craftsmen mastered the art of making it. Of course, Rus' knew needles before - they were forged from bronze and iron, and for rich houses and palaces - silver. But still, the steel ones turned out to be the best.

From the hands of unknown craftswomen who held this simple sewing device came breathtaking outfits of fashionistas of all times and peoples, and the finest embroidered pictures, and icon frames embroidered with pearls and beads, and everyday clothes, and children’s toys...

Each type of needlework has its own needle, in this case it changes the thickness, the size of the “eye”, sometimes it becomes triangular at the end, sometimes it is arched.

Sometimes the needle acquired completely new “specialties” for it. So, in the 16th century, artists began to use it to create etchings. Etching is a type of engraving whose design is scratched onto a metal board covered with a layer of varnish. After applying the design, the board is immersed in acid, which corrodes the grooves left by the artist’s hand. An engraving needle is very similar to a regular sewing needle, only the tip is sharpened in the shape of a cone, blade, or cylinder.

Perhaps this type of engraving was born due to the fact that a needle was always “at hand” in any home. And the artist wanted to get copies of his works using paper and lithographic stone. But carving on stone with a chisel is quite hard work. This is where the needle and acid came in handy, which made things much easier and faster.

The first etchings were created in Germany in the 16th century by Albrecht Durer, D. Hopfer and other artists. In the 17th century, A. Van Dyck, A. Van Ostade, X. Ribera and the greatest of etchers, Rembrandt, created with the help of a needle. 17th century - works by J.B. Tiepolo, A. Watteau, F. Boucher, W. Hogarth, F. Goya. In Russia at this time, etching was also gaining ground: A.F. Zubov, M.F. Kazakov, V.I. Bazhenov and others worked with the help of a needle. The needle was often used to draw popular prints, including folk pictures from the Patriotic War of 1812, illustrations for books, and caricatures. And today this technique is alive, many modern artists use it.

By the way, why is a needle called a needle? Here is one of the possible origins of its name. In ancient times, oxen were harnessed to a yoke, which was secured with a thin wooden stick pointed at one end - a needle. This is where the name came from to our friend. The linguistic “relative” of the needle is the infamous word “yoke.” Yoke and collar are words of Turkic origin. And the ancient Slavic name for this harness is yoke. Among the people, the yoke and collar have always symbolized oppression and slavery. It is no coincidence that the saying “If there was a neck, there would be a collar.” And therefore, the terrible years of the invasion and rule of the Golden Horde in Rus' received their short and so succinct name - the yoke.

It’s amazing how many meanings and objects such a simple word carries – needle !

Recently, on the coast of Florida, under a thick layer of sand, treasure hunters discovered a huge wooden chest with the inscription “San Fernando”. Indeed, there was such a ship and it sank almost 250 years ago on the way from Mexico to Spain with a substantial loot on board: 150 million silver pesos. Treasure hunters fiddled with the castle for a long time, finally, the long-awaited click was heard, several trembling hands threw back the lid, and... an ancient treasure appeared to greedy eyes: thousands, tens of thousands of sailor needles for patching sails!

Based on site materials

The question of what came first, the sewing needle or the wheel, confuses many people who are still tormented by the question of the primacy of the appearance of the egg or the chicken. However, scientists have proven that the history of the sewing needle is still somewhat older than the wheel.

Without a doubt, the ancient needles were of a completely different shape and made of a different material, however, they served exactly what modern needles serve for. That is, for sewing.

But it’s true, at all times, a small needle has been and still is one of those attributes that must be in every home. Back in the 19th century, with the advent of the world's first sewing machine, women craftswomen were fond of sewing and embroidering with a needle.

The history of the sewing needle says that the first sewing needles were found in the southern part of France and Central Asia, and their age was 15-20 thousand years. Primitive people used a needle to sew clothes made from the skins of killed animals. The needles were most likely made from fish bones, which were able to pierce thick skins.

Among the cultural states of antiquity, I would especially like to highlight Ancient Egypt, whose inhabitants not only knew how to sew with iron needles, but were also actively engaged in embroidery.

Moreover, the history of the sewing needle among the Egyptians is supported by the fact that even then the needle was almost ideally shaped, very reminiscent of the modern needle we are used to, but with one thing…. She didn't have an eyelet for thread. The edge of the needle opposite the point was simply bent into a small ring.

And if iron needles were very widespread, then with steel needles the situation was somewhat worse. The history of the sewing needle tells that they appeared in Europe only in the Middle Ages, where they were brought by eastern merchants. In the East, steel was known much earlier, therefore, simultaneously with the production of weapons steel in Damascus, artisans also made steel needles. In Europe, mass production of sewing needles began only in the 14th century. True, no one even thought of making an eyelet for thread in it.

Despite the mass production, needles were very expensive and only wealthy people could afford them. This continued almost until the British, in 1785, began to use a mechanized method in the production of needles. But for about 60 years, sewing needles were produced without the usual eye. Their appearance resembled modern safety pins.

In the middle of the 19th century, again in England, machines were invented that “knew” how to make an eyelet in a small piece of wire. From then on and for a long time, England became one of the main manufacturers and exporters of sewing needles, in the design of which an innovation was introduced, namely, an eyelet for thread.

Our country also has a history of sewing needles; a decree prescribing the beginning of the production of sewing needles was first issued by Peter I, although needles were “brought” to the territory of the Russian Empire at the end of the 17th century. From those distant times to the present day, needles have been produced in the Ryazan region, in the same factories. Here it is, the connection of times!

To date, despite the fact that the needle has firmly entered into the life of every house or apartment, there are still legends and all sorts of speculations about it, such as the fact that you can’t pick up a needle on the street, you can’t sew on yourself, or you can’t pick it up someone else's needle, etc. But why the needle acquired such a mystical meaning and why Koshchei’s death is at the end of the needle, only God knows.

If it happened that the ancient craftswomen could look into the sewing boxes of modern seamstresses, they would probably die of envy. And indeed, there is something to envy, because the cost of needles is now just a penny, but the assortment is truly royal. Not only are there 12 sizes of needles in total, but there are also needles for sewing, furriers, embroidery and gilding, which do not leave marks on the fabric, and double-sided needles with a hole in the middle.

Even for the visually impaired there are special needles with a thread eyelet made in the form of a carabiner. And platinum needles significantly reduce sewing time and are resistant to acids and alkalis.

But needles are probably most revered in Japan, where for about 1000 years a festival dedicated to broken needles has been held annually. Moreover, everyone can take part in it. During such a festival, all participants take down broken needles and put them in a special box, at the same time thanking the needles for their good service. After which, the box is forever lowered into the sea.

What a rich history of the sewing needle turns out to be for such a small and familiar item in every home.