Soap is an ancient invention that probably has many origins, with its first recorded use by the ancient Babylonians around 2800 BC.
A recipe has been discovered on a cuneiform tablet written in Girsu 4500 years ago, around the time of the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It describes its use in washing and dyeing of wool, which weavers used - and still do - to wash freshly sheared wool to remove lanolin.
