Brain Sharpenerzz

Puzzles have fascinated humans for centuries, challenging our minds and sparking curiosity. The earliest known puzzles were riddles think of the famous Riddle of the Sphinx from Greek mythology. These clever word games entertained and puzzled people in ancient times and well into the Middle Ages. Riddles were not just games but they were woven into stories and used to teach lessons. Sometimes even posed as challenges in royal courts. Flash forward to the 18th century We have John Spilsbury a British cartographer and engraver who revolutionized the puzzle literally. In about 1760 he started cutting maps into pieces and gluing them onto wood to create a study aid for children to learn geography. These study aids, referred to as "dissections," were the first type of what we now have as jigsaw puzzles. Interestingly they weren't cut using an actual jigsaw (which did not yet exist), but a marquetry saw. The phrase "jigsaw puzzle" would not even be in use until 1906...