This is shocking, because twice on the same day I've found myself in agreement with Jacob. If I'm not careful I could find myself in a mutually admiring tryst with the man, which just isn't on.
He is correct, dovetails in wooden artefacts have been around for millennia. I can't quickly find many pictorial example of Egyptian dovetails via Aunty Google, but here's a link
to one. Here's
another link. My hazy recollection is that Egyptian dovetails tended to favour wide pins and slender tails, the reverse of contemporary preferences. Slainte.