Puppets have been used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies and rituals by various cultures around the world. Early puppets included masks with movable parts used by Native Americans and jointed terra cotta figures created by Egyptians. Shadow puppets originated in China and were made from animal skins with rods or strings allowing the puppeteer to control their movements. Different regions developed their own puppetry traditions, with Turkey adding waist movement to shadow puppets and three-dimensional rod puppets evolving from two-dimensional precursors. Puppets have endured through history by traveling entertainers who kept the artform alive across civilizations.