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The ancient history of your soap
The history of soap goes back thousands and thousands of years, but I will not bore you with a heavy history lesson, I promise! Clay cylinders dating back to 2800 BC and containing a soap-like substance were found among the Babylon ruins. According to records found on papyrus, the people of ancient Egypt bathed on a regular basis using a soap-like substance made up of vegetable and animal oils, and alkaline salts.
The ancient Greeks, like the Romans, did not use soap. Instead, they practiced hygene by using clay and ashes on their skin, followed by the application of oils, and then scraping off dirt and oil using a strigil, a metal implement used for the very purpose of cleaning dirt off the human body. It is mistakenly believed that a soap factory was discovered among the ruins in Pompeii. In reality, what was discovered was only some type of soapy mineral substance which was most likely used for textiles.
Another dubious story would lead us to believe that the word "soap" originates from the name of Mount Sapo, a hill in ancient Rome where animals were sacrificed to appease the pagan gods. The rain would wash wood ashes mixed with animal tallow down the hill, where women did the laundry by the river. The women who used the soap-like goo pouring down the hill noticed cleaner clothes (doesn't this scene remind you of a modern-day TV soap commercial?). However, no historical evidence supports this commercial... ahem, story.
Todays' soap descends from the ancient colored and scented soaps of the Arabian countries. Their soap was made from vegetable oils and aromatic oils such as thyme oil. In Iraq, Iran, and Palestine the making of soap dates back to the seventh century. In Europe, the popular Castile soap was first produced in the XVI century. During the end of the XIX century, the first manufactured bars of soap became available. At the same time, vigorous campaigns to increase the public's awareness of the positive link between health and cleanliness became common on both sides of the Atlantic.
Now, that wasn't bad, was it?
History of Castile and Marseille soaps
Soap Making Message Board
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