A History of the Head Lice Comb

If you think that the head lice comb is a modernfound in the wreckage of a sunken ship near the
invention, well think twice. For centuries and evenTurkish coast. The same combs, made of the same
thousands of years people have had head lice andwood were found in Russia. This means that the trade
they have been using them since the beginning ofof these anti lice combs happened on a large scale. A
times. There is evidence of this all over the world, andcomb in walrus ivory, consisting of 2 sides (tiny teeth,
here is a brief history of lice combs.and coarse teeth) was also found during this period. It
It is estimated that the emergence of head lice combsis currently at the British Museum in London.
coincides with the invention of the regular comb, aboutOne more comb with fine teeth was found in the
9 500-12 500 BC. The oldest combs were made ofwreckage of the boat Culip IV, sank in the late 13th
bone and ivory, or wood. Combs were discoveredcentury in Catalonia (now Spain). This boat used to
among the objects left in tombs belonging to the firsttrade with North Africa, its main cargo consisted of
Egyptian dynasty (3150 BC). In 3000 BC. head liceceramic and hazelnuts. The ship of King Henry VIII, the
combs with very fine and tightened teeth were foundMary Rose was built between the year 1509 and year
in Egyptian tombs. Hundreds of tombs dating from the1511, then sank in 1545. He was found and brought to
period from 3000 to 2000 BC. have been found inthe surface in 1982, and among the objects that were
Iberia (now Spain), containing items and among themstill on board we could find head lice combs with very
many ivory combs. In the 6th century BC. a carvedfine teeth, made of wood.
ivory lice comb dating from the Persian period wasSeveral combs with very fine teeth were found in the
found in Israel.wreckage of the Spanish boat to Bermuda Stone
Between the 1st century BC. And the 2nd century ADWall, sank in the middle of the 17th century. In the 18th
there were several more discoveries. A woodencentury a head lice comb made of bone and some
comb from this period was found in the Negev desert,human hair were found in a pit at Canterbury (England).
it contained 10 adult lice and 5 dried nits. AnotherFrom the 18th century, head lice combs became very
wooden comb from the same period was found inpopular and we can find combs dating from this period
Northern England and contained fragments of lice. Inin many parts of the globe, very often. Nowadays
Germany also during the same period, near Rotterdam,such a comb is made of metal or other materials and
a wooden comb with very thin teeth covered withit remains the essential tool in everyone's battle against
mud deposits containing lice was discovered.head lice.
In the 11th century several combs with fine teeth were