"Lubricant found on a chariot circa 1,400 B.C. was probably mutton or beef tallow, with a melting point of 49.5°C." Here
Herodotus wrote of refining petroleum to get lubricants. And 1,900 years ago, Pliny the Elder wrote out a list of vegetable oils that were commonly used at the time for lubrication.
The front wheel bearings of my old Chevy were originally factory packed with mutton tallow. The repacking was with silicon grease, which at least doesn't smell so bad after long trips.