The History of Basketweaving

Basket weaving is one of the oldest and widest-spread crafts in recorded history. However, historians have found it difficult to pinpoint its exact origins, because the natural materials used to make them decay naturally. Nevertheless, there is still speculation upon which most historians agree.

The earliest known baskets

Carbon dating determined that the oldest known surviving baskets date back 10,000 to 12,000 years, thus predating any known examples of pottery. These baskets were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt. In addition, archaeologists discovered 7,000 year-old baskets in the Middle East. As baskets are made from perishable materials and, thus, seldom survive, historians and archaeologists have had to go by evidence of the knowledge of basket weaving; they found it on imprints of clay pot fragments. These fragments were formed by packing clay on the walls of the baskets and firing them.

Baskets in the Industrial Revolution

During the Industrial Revolution, factories used baskets extensively for packing and deliveries. During the Victorian era, wicker furniture was a fashionable item in many homes; it remains popular today. During World War I and World War II, many people used baskets to transport messenger pigeons, observational balloons, shell cases and even airborne pannier baskets. The military used these to drop supplies of food and ammunition to supply to the troops.

Basket weaving today

Today, basket weaving is an art and craft that is done mainly for recreation. With the arts and crafts movement of the 20th century, many people started making their own baskets out of a wide variety of materials for decorative or functional purposes; some even sell them online today.

While most early examples of basket weaving are lost to time, history has still managed to trace some of the early history of this craft; perhaps, future revelations can shed more light on its rich history.