The first known examples of the hairstyle date back to ancient Egypt, where dreadlocks appeared on Egyptian artifacts. Mummified remains of ancient Egyptians with dreadlocks have even been recovered from archaeological sites.

Where do dreadlocks originally come from?

Any region with people of African descent or thick, coarse hair has dreadlocks in their community. Early discoveries of dreadlocks have come from places in India, and Egypt. The dreadlocked deity Shiva had a significant impact on Indian culture and was an inspiration for millions of people that practiced Hinduism.

When did people start getting dreadlocks?

In ancient Greece for example, some of the earliest depictions of dreads date back to 3600 BC. Indeed, frescoes uncovered in Crete, birthplace of the Minoan civilization, and in Thera (modern-day Santorini) show individuals with long braided hairstyles.