History of Fences

The history of fences dates back thousands of years, reflecting humanity’s need for security, privacy, and control over land. The earliest known fences appeared in ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia and Egypt, where they were used to mark property boundaries and protect crops or livestock. In medieval Europe, fences evolved alongside the concept of private ownership, often built from wood, stone, or hedgerows to separate agricultural fields and estates. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the Enclosure Movement in England dramatically changed the rural landscape, open communal lands were fenced off, transforming farming practices and social structures.