There wasn’t always stitch markers, not sure about when they were made but My friend used to give me her *Corks from her vino. *
I’ve used safely pins (still do), waste yarn , paper clips ( *but they have to be smooth on end) * not just stitch markers orter improvised craft things??
I used to knit with just regular number 2 pencils. That’s how I learned. I found some scrap yarn and watched videos on how to knit. I’ve thought about using paper clips as stitch markers, as it’s a good idea.