According to archaeological excavations, the first signs of the emergence of dreadlocks date back to antiquity in the era of the primitive people that inhabited North Africa and the Peninsula of Somalia. In the process of migration of man from Africa, this phenomenon has spread and settled in different places. In different time dreadlocks were characteristic of the Celts, ancient Germans, some Pacific peoples, the Aztecs, as well as representatives of individual areas of the major religions: Jewish Nazarite, and Hindu sadhus, dervishes and Islamic, and Coptic Christians.

One of the first known examples of dreadlocks can be found in the Chronicles of the dynasties of Ancient Egypt, where dreadlocks are fixed on the bas-reliefs, sculptures and other artifacts as members of the Royal family and the commoners. Known examples of the mummified remains of ancient Egyptians with dreadlocks and wigs, dreads, found during archaeological excavations.

The oldest documented mention of dreadlocks can be found in one of the sections of the rig Veda (Rigveda, 10/136), which is called Keshi-sukta ("Glory shaggy"). Anthem Scripture dedicated Keshina, or the wandering homeless ascetic with matted long hair, whose bodies are covered with funerary ashes.