The invention of the nail: history, interesting facts

There are objects in our daily life that are so commonplace that it is not necessary to talk about them. Take nails, for example. It would seem, what could be interesting about these elementary, but irreplaceable fasteners? Meanwhile, there are many interesting facts in the history of their origin.

How did it all begin?

Nails are made of metal today. But it was not always so. Historians say that people have learned long ago that objects can and should be fastened together. Our ancestors, who lived in caves, knew that it was possible to connect two skins and thus build a large and comfortable cape or bed for yourself. But people did not know how to use metal, and therefore everything that was at hand was used: bones, sharp branches, thorns of plants, fragments of silicon.

Such fasteners were used both for the construction of dwellings, rafts and boats, and for the interior arrangement of the "house". For example, they were used as hangers, they were also used to nail skins into door and window openings, and to cut up thick pieces of meat.

The first primitive nails were replaced by wood products a little later. They were more durable, but it turned out to be not so easy to make them: in order to make wooden fasteners, you must at least find a strong stick and sharpen one end of it. Still, it is somewhat more difficult than collecting and drying fish bones.

Wooden nails of ancient people are not at all like those to which we are accustomed: they looked like blades without hats.. They were actively used in shipbuilding, construction of residential and utility premises. For their manufacture, oak, birch, maple, acacia were used. Less often coniferous trees went into business, since fasteners from them quickly dried out and crumbled.

When metal nails were invented

Today it is obvious that a more practical material should have replaced wood. And therefore about five thousand years ago, instead of wooden nails, people began to use metal. Making them was a real art: the first metal fasteners were forged or cast in a special shape.

Naturally, each such nail was considered an exclusive handicraft, and therefore buying it was not cheap. It was believed that only rich people deserve such a luxury (however, the poor could not afford something like that, even if they really wanted to).

In addition, nail masters enjoyed great respect in those days. This is evidenced by tablets found by archaeologists on the territory of ancient Mesopotamia (modern Middle East) containing information about the construction and the people who participated in this process. Such finds date back to about the 3rd millennium BC. In ancient Egyptian scrolls, archaeologists have found "records" of the use of bronze nails.

Interesting! Scientists find data on the use of nails even in ancient biblical books. At the same time, they were not driven into, but walled up into the wall during construction and used as hangers. If there was a need to get such a metal pin in the literal sense of the word, then the wall had to be broken.

When the first nails appeared in Russia

It is impossible to say for sure in what year such a useful device first appeared on the territory of Russia. It is only known that the earliest mentions of nails in our land date back to the 10th century, and information about nails can be found in the chronicles of the 13th century.

As in the whole world, these craftsmen were held in high esteem in our country. They made nails from wood and metal, while historians know that there were no standard sizes for such fasteners in ancient Russia. They were constantly improved, changing the length of the rod and the notches on it, the diameter of the cap (it did not appear immediately), experimenting with the material for their manufacture.

This fastener has been “living” with a person for many years. Proverbs and sayings were dedicated to him, used in jokes, jokes. Let's remember at least a couple of the most famous ones: "Set in like a nail in the wall", "You can't hang everything on one nail".

But history is full of paradoxes. From an object of true respect into an inconspicuous and accessible building material, this fastener turned not so long ago, but we stopped noticing its uniqueness pretty quickly.

However, it's never too late to make up for lost time and appreciate what makes our life more comfortable. It is enough to learn to ask yourself questions more often and look for answers to them. Fascinating, I must say, occupation!