The first objects with man-made holes in them came from the Late (or Upper) Palaeolithic times, about 35,000 years ago. These included shells, antlers, bone and teeth.
It is thought that there were two ways to create these holes: using flint blades with sharp points and grinding them into the object…
…or using sand under the end of a stick being twisted between someone’s palms.
Farming first appeared about 13,000 years ago and fences will have been used to keep animals out of gardens and cultivated land.
Initially, holes in the ground will have been dug with spade-type tools made from bone or flint and, later, metals.
The first auger (device for making holes) appeared in the Iron Age (about 2,800 years ago) and the spiral-flighted (or threaded) auger appeared in the Middle Ages and would have been made by a blacksmith. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when factories started making them, that they became readily available to everyone.
