The blown glass technique is attributed to the Phoenicians or Babylonians in the 1st century BC, with the invention of the blowing cane. The equipment of the glass craftsmen hardly evolved from Antiquity to the 18th century. It includes the cane, the pontil (an iron or steel rod used to secure the glass part from the bottom), metal irons and scissors, fireclay molds and crucibles, pallets, and mallets. Though it appears rudimentary, the manipulation of the equipment requires high mastery.