History of Asbestos
Asbestos in Antiquity
Asbestos has been linked to many uses in antiquity through historical evidence.
The earliest historical discovery of asbestos use was as a temper for ceramics in the Neolithic age. Prehistoric shards and ware containing asbestos have been found in Finland, central Russia, Norway and Sweden. It was still being used for this purpose in the 1970’s in Uganda and Kenya.
Since ancient times, in both the western world and Asia, Asbestos has been used in textile objects such as shrouds, napkins, tablecloths, candle wicks and special purpose clothing. It was known as a natural wonder. Native American sites have also yielded asbestos fragments among other Indian artefacts.
In the western world it was first mentioned in Greek sources (300 BC), hence its name ‘Asbestos’, meaning “inextinguishable”. The Greeks and Romans are believed to have also understood that asbestos had low thermal conductivity and was resistant to fire and acids.
Asbestos in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages descriptions of asbestos include its fire and acid resistance. Asbestos was woven into cloth linings for suits of armour, asbestos paper was used for writings, candle wicks and textiles were used by the wealthy and for cordage and animal halters. However the use of asbestos declined during the Middle Ages.
A famous type of catapult, called a trebuchet, was used to fling flaming bags of pitch and tar over city walls during sieges, which is reported to have been wrapped in asbestos bags.
It is reported that Marco Polo visited an asbestos mine in China to disprove the myth that asbestos came from the hair of a woolly lizard.
Asbestos in Industry
In England, Asbestos was being used in the 1700s, but did not become popular until the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. By the end of the 18th Century, scientists had discovered many new uses for asbestos, such as filters and for fire resistance. This paved the way for asbestos becoming a popular industrial material by the mid 1800s. Its fire retardant properties made it essential in the automobile and construction industries, as well as the military for use as fire proof clothing.
During his first visit to Russia as a young man in 1725, Benjamin Franklin acquired an asbestos purse, which is now kept at the Natural History Museum, London, and a link to their photo library can be found here.
Throughout the 20th century, Asbestos was used worldwide in fire proof suits, helmet bands and firefighting equipment by fire brigades both domestic and military.
Asbestos was also used for just about everything in the early 20th Century home – hairdryers, floor tiles, toys, oven gloves, gutters, insulation and even clothing.
Due to increased knowledge of asbestos related diseases, Asbestos was finally banned in the UK in 1999. The mineral is however still mined and used today in certain parts of the world, namely; Russia, Kazakhstan, China, South America and South Africa. 
See our other news article: History of Asbestos-The Wonder Material