Leather

Animal hides as well as techniques of tanning hides to produce leather have been used since the Palaeolithic for clothing and shelter. The first written evidence of leather production has been found in ancient Egypt dating around 1300 BC where we see evidence of specialised tanneries which were separate from . As tanning techniques improved the quality of leather, its uses diversified and throughout the ancient world such as in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, leather was increasingly used as a decorative as well as functional material.