Believe it or not, there was a time before shelves and shelving. Granted, this time was before recorded history, but it was there. There has been a gradual evolution in the sophistication and design of shelves and shelving. This evolution is still continuing as the shelves become sleeker, stronger and more functional.
The original shelves and shelvingwere more like a single shelf. This shelf was a natural outcropping in the rock wall. This outcropping was unchanged and either existed in the cave or it did not. There is no evidence that suggests that the original shelves were created rather than found. This was used to set things on top of that were cluttering the floors of the caves that people lived in. This was an essential step as people learned to trust those around them and set their belongings onto an area of rock away from where they were resting. This was also the beginning of spatial organization.
Once the use of the shelves and shelving was ingrained into the primitive humans, they began to create shelves in the caves. This started out as simply leveling off the natural outcroppings and then eventually developed into chipping out small cubbies in the cave walls. These rough shelves were still a single shelf and relatively small. They did require an exceptional amount of work to create. It is thought that the creation of the shelves served two purposes. The first purpose was not the shelf but rather to gather rock components for the various tools that the humans would use. The second purpose was the shelf.
While the humans were nomadic the progress of the evolution of shelves and shelving was limited. It is simply too hard to move the shelves quickly and easily. As the humans began to settle, the shelves began to evolve with them. The next shelves were again a single shelf, but they were created out of wood instead of rock. These shelves were used to hold more personal objects and religious pieces. These shelves were a mixture of functional shelves and alters that could be used in personal religious ceremonies.
Then next evolution in shelves and shelving was the creation of the additional shelf. It was eventually realized that the shelves could be stacked and created so that there is more than one shelf on the shelving unit. This created more storage areas for the people and the number of possessions that they were able to have increased. This also opened up their homes for more work and progress. This helped to create a more comfortable living arrangement. These shelves were still fairly rough and simple though.
As the humans evolved, so too did their furniture including the shelves and shelving. The renascence is Europe saw shelves that were as tall as the person is high and shelves with doors. These shelves were beautifully constructed and varnished. These shelves better protected the materials on them including books and paper products. It was not unusual to find only personal effects on the shelves rather than the religious effects that were placed on the shelves before them. There were many shelves still dedicated to religious artifacts and relics still. This does not change in human history as religion is still a vital part of life for some people.
The shelves continue to advance as the hanging equipment continues to evolve. Once nails became readily available shelves and shelving units that could be hung on the walls became popular. In addition shelves with hooks to hang things from also became frequent additions to a home. This helped to further organize the home and eventually made the coat tree obsolete.
The shelf is still evolving. The current trends for shelves and shelving is the creation of light weight shelving units that are also very strong. These shelves can be hung on walls or placed on the ground, holding the personal effects of the person. They can be created in smaller square patterns and used to hold baskets or cubes that hide and protect the belongings of the individual. Colored plastic shelves and shelving is also very popular as a cheap and efficient means for holding belongings. The use of wheels on the shelves and shelving help make them mobile and functional at the same time.