The Earliest Forms of Packaging

Sending gifts via mail, purchasing items from outside of the world, or sending essential items to a friend, we assume that a packaging maker will have the right products, and post offices will send the item.

Have you ever thought about the way goods were moved before the use of materials like polyurethane foam was invented?

In earlier times, packaging materials were made from natural materials. They were highly creative but also efficient. Here are some examples:

Greek and Roman Amphoras

They are substantial ceramic vessels employed from 1500BC until 500AD to transport wine and other goods across the Mediterranean and maybe the very original “consumer package.” Their shape is quite different from the modern packaging, but their shape and design changed to allow them to be cost-effective to make and to ship similar to the packaging we use present-day packaging.

Ancient Chinese packaging

In the early days that packaging was used in China, there were natural materials employed, such as leaves of trees, bamboo, lotus gourds, palm leaves, coconut shells, coconut shells, animals’ skins, and shellfish. Later on, man-made materials were utilized, including ceramics, fabrics as well as metals, lacquerware, jade ware, woodware, and some kinds of paper. It is interesting to consider that twelve food cans that were airtight were discovered at Baoshan in Hubei in the year 316 BC, one of the earliest forms of food packaging discovered. The cans were sealed using a variety of layers, including bamboo leaves, straw mats, and wet clay, and covered in silk.

Neolithic Britain

The first communities of Britain were keen to preserve the food surplus they gathered during their fishing, hunting, and food-gathering activities for the most extended period of time possible in order to be prepared for any eventual food shortage. They relied on the leaves of trees, baskets made of woven cloth, and animal skins for the storage of their food. Three thousand five hundred years ago, the advent of the wheel for pottery meant that the creation of earthenware pottery pots was improved. These innovations allowed us to move from a community that lived hand-to-mouth in the ‘feast or famine cycle to a farming community that could harvest food resources and provides a continuous supply of food via its efficient preservation in appropriate containers.

Early Egyptians

The early Egyptians helped to shape the history of packaging when they realized how the material they created for jewelry could be utilized in terms of containers involved, in the form of bowls, bottles, and other containers used for the preservation of food items. Wooden barrels, which were created in Egypt around 7000 years earlier, were very popular during the Middle Ages because they could be used for the storage of various kinds of food items, such as drinks like beer and wine. They were also more stable than earthenware or glass containers.

Packaging companies today have a vast array of products available to ensure that you receive the suitable material to suit the product you’re carrying and the journey that they are required to complete.

About Us: Wessex Packaging is a specialist manufacturer of packaging that can supply bespoke polyurethane foam and cardboard packaging to meet your needs. If you’re looking for packaging manufacturers that can ensure that your products are delivered safely and cost-effectively, get in touch today.