Ancient Toymakers Existed 4,500 Years Ago, Study Reveals

COPENHAGEN - A Danish researcher informed AFP on Friday about the existence of toy makers for much longer periods than most individuals acknowledge, following the unearthing of 19 early rattles. Some of these date back at least 4,500 years.

Mette Marie Hald, one of the authors who detailed the discovery published in the academic journal "Childhood in the Past," shared her insights with AFP.

"The researchers suggest that these rattles were used primarily as playthings for entertaining and soothing babies, not as musical tools, due to the minimal sound produced by them and the comparatively petite diameter of their handles," states the abstract of the study.

Hal even proposed that museum curators should revisit their collections to reassess items previously categorized as religious artifacts, considering they might have been meticulously made toys instead.

"If you wanted to entertain your child, you could just give them a wooden spoon or a stone," she said.

However, at that time, parents still had the choice to pamper their children with more extravagant options.

"About 4,500 years back, parents used to head to the marketplace to purchase toys crafted by experts," she clarified.

Scientists found 19 fragments of clay rattles crafted in Hama, Syria, from the Bronze Age within the holdings of the National Museum of Denmark.

According to Hald, the quality of the rattles means they couldn't have been made by the parents themselves.

She wishes this finding will motivate experts to examine clay pieces more closely, as it’s possible that other items, such as delicate statuettes, could actually be toys.

"Their presence in temples leads them to be seen as religious icons; however, one might ponder whether these could also serve as amusing playthings for kids due to their wide array and comical appearance," observed the researcher.

Often, these discoveries are made as broken pieces, making it challenging to identify the toys.

Therefore, researchers have created an identification manual exclusively for recognizing rattles.-AFP