You use them every day, and they’re vital to your safety, but have you ever thought about where exactly locks originated? (I mean… I have, but I do locks for a living.)
Necessity is the mother of invention, and it’s certainly necessary to protect your possessions. This very instinct is what led to the creation of the world’s first locks, which were simply groups of simple knots made from ropes. Even then, however, they weren’t utilized to actually keep someone from entering, but to simply detect if someone had tried to enter, by attempting to untie the knots.
The Beginning
The first mechanical locks didn’t show up until approximately 6,000 years ago. They were first seen in Ancient Egypt and were crude, simple designs made from wood. These were the precursors to the pin tumbler locks that we see today. The Ancient Egyptian lock had a wooden post attached to the door, along with a horizontal bolt that slid into the adjacent post. The bolt itself had a group of openings that were filled pins. A specially designed wooden key with pegs corresponding to the pins could be inserted into the lock.
During the 1st millennium B.C., the Greeks, then and Romans started to get in on the lock game, and with that came an improvement in lock technology and design. Unfortunately, the Greeks weren’t all that great at the whole “security” aspect, but they inspired those innovative Romans, who immediately improved upon both the Greek and Egyptian locks. The Romans made a huge leap forward, introducing metal into the world of locks. As they say, the rest is history.
Don’t worry, though—we’re not stopping there. The Romans, however, did stop there. Remember that pesky ol’ fall of the Roman Empire? Well, that sort of put a halt on lock making, and the locksmiths of the European Dark Ages didn’t have the money or technology needed to continue the improvements. They didn’t call it the Dark Ages for nothing! Instead of improving on what they had, these guys went a completely different route – confusion. They figured that if they couldn’t make locks any better, they could at least make fake locks and fake keyholes on their buildings in an attempt to throw off any would-be thieves.
Progress
Finally, in the 18th century, the wheel of progress started rolling again. Engineers were able to create smaller and sturdier mechanisms, building on all those previous designs, and by 1778 Robert Barronin arrived on the scene, creating the world’s first double-acting tumbler locks. Some inspired inventors followed in Barronin’s footsteps, and helped move lock technology to what it is today.
So, when you’re locking up your facility for the night, tip your proverbial hat to the lock makers of the past, and be thankful we made it out of the Dark Ages. Otherwise, we might all still be banging our heads against our doors, yelling, “Dang it! I tried to open the door with the fake lock again!”