Shetland's craft tradition has its origins in the distant past, long before daily requirements were met by the mass production we take for granted today. Archaeological excavations show that the earliest inhabitants of these islands mostly made the things they needed from the materials that came to hand. They carved soapstone bowls, produced loom and fishing weights and carved pins or combs from bone. They spun wool and wove cloth, worked metal and made pottery. Certainly, some items were imported and some were exported. Nevertheless, far more than now, local production met local needs.