page_title: Lock picking
hierarchical_section_title: Lock picking
caption_attribution_description: English: A Schlage deadbolt lock that has been picked, showing that the plug has been turned without the key. This is my own lock, and I picked it myself.
context_page_description: Lock picking is the art of opening a lock without the key and without damaging or destroying the lock or its door. It is usually used by locksmiths to let people back in who have lost their keys or locked them inside a car or house. Lock picking is very rarely used by criminals, because picking a lock is difficult and other ways of entering such as breaking a window are much easier. Some people pick their own locks as a hobby. In most places picking locks that you own is legal, but it is illegal to pick locks that you do not own or do not have permission to pick.
  History of keys and locks goes back for about 4,000 years. Ancient people also wanted to protect their possessions and keep them in places where other people cannot get access to them. The first locks and keys were made of wood and other easily accessible materials and they provided the small safeguard against theft or break-in. However, such locks at least let the owners know if someone tried to tamper with the lock.
  The earliest known key and lock was discovered in the Nineveh ruins, which was the capital of ancient Assyria. They were dated to 704 BC.
context_section_description: Lock picking is the art of opening a lock without the key and without damaging or destroying the lock or its door. It is usually used by locksmiths to let people back in who have lost their keys or locked them inside a car or house. Lock picking is very rarely used by criminals, because picking a lock is difficult and other ways of entering such as breaking a window are much easier. Some people pick their own locks as a hobby. In most places picking locks that you own is legal, but it is illegal to pick locks that you do not own or do not have permission to pick.
  History of keys and locks goes back for about 4,000 years. Ancient people also wanted to protect their possessions and keep them in places where other people cannot get access to them. The first locks and keys were made of wood and other easily accessible materials and they provided the small safeguard against theft or break-in. However, such locks at least let the owners know if someone tried to tamper with the lock. 
  The earliest known key and lock was discovered in the Nineveh ruins, which was the capital of ancient Assyria. They were dated to 704 BC. The first models of wooden locks and keys originate from Ancient Babylon and Egypt. These simple devices had small pins, controlling the movement of the security bolt. In order to unlock the bolt, it was necessary to lift the pins, by using bulky wooden keys. 
  Roman age introduced many improvements of the Egyptian wooden locks. Ancient Romans created stronger and smaller locks than Egyptians, by using bronze and iron. The keys of locks from Roman era were small and light enough to be carried everywhere. Such small keys were often viewed as one of the effective ways of showing your wealth to other people. Rich Romans often kept their valuable things in secure boxes and wore the keys as finger rings. 
  The warded lock also comes from antiquity and is still the most recognizable lock and key type. Nowadays, there is a wide range of different locks, keys and other security systems available on the market. Among them are also keyless entry systems, that allow people to operate their locks without using the keys.
caption: A deadbolt lock that has been picked, showing that the plug has been turned without the key.
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