The History of Padlocks

"The history of padlocks"
Historical Locks

"Introduction

"Because of their simple, practical function, padlocks developed their basic shape of lock body, shackle, and key early on. Padlocks reflect large variations in design and technology, making them an important part of our technological history. Through decoration and choice of materials, the lock body and shackle can be adapted for different aesthetic and social contexts.

"The advantage of padlocks as opposed to door locks is that they are usually small, hardy, and convenient to use, and usually cheaper than a door lock. The disadvantage is that they must be used with some kind of iron fittings...."

After the introduction, this article on the history of padlocks picks up with the Roman era - you'll find the link in the sidebar. The pages are illustrated, and fairly quick reading.

This isn't an in-depth study of the history of padlocks: but as a sort of overview, it's pretty good.