When was glass invented?

Pliny, an ancient Roman historian, suggested that the first glass was created near Syria around 5000 B.C. While this may be true, the first archaeological evidence of man-made glass dates back to around 3500 B.C. in Eastern Mesopotamia and Egypt. The first glass vessels followed 2000 years later.

Countries along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea were centers of glass manufacturing. In the 1st century B.C., the blow pipe was invented by Syrian craftsmen, which made glass production easier, faster and cheaper. Glass making flourished after this invention, and soon new creations, such as stained glass in churches and cathedrals, were being produced.