Textiles, to archaeologists anyway, can mean woven cloth, bags, nets, basketry, string-making, cord impressions in pots, sandals, or other objects created out of organic fibers. This technology is at least 30,000 years old, although preservation of the textiles themselves is rare in prehistory, so it may be quite a bit older still.
Because textiles are perishable, often the oldest evidence of the use of textiles is implied from impressions left in burned clay or the presence of weaving-related tools such as awls, loom weights, or spindle whorls. Preservation of intact fragments of cloth or other textiles has known to occur when archaeological sites are in extreme conditions of cold, wet or dry; when fibers come into contact with metals such as copper; or when textiles are preserved by accidental charring.
Discovery of Early Textiles
The oldest example of textiles yet identified by archaeologists is at the Dzudzuana Cave in the former Soviet state of Georgia. There, a handful of flax fibers was discovered that had been twisted, cut and even dyed a range of colors. The fibers were radiocarbon-dated to between 30,000-36,000 years ago.
Much of the early use of cloth began with making string. The earliest string-making to date was identified at the Ohalo II site in modern Israel, where three fragments of twisted and plied plant fibers were discovered and dated to 19,000 years ago.
The Jomon culture in Japan — believed to be among the earliest pottery makers in the world — shows evidence of cord-making in the form of impressions in ceramic vessels from f*ckui Cave that are dated to roughly 13,000 years ago. Archaeologists chose the word Jomon to refer to this ancient hunter-gather culture because it means "cord-impressed."
The occupation layers discovered at Guitarrero Cave in the Andes mountains of Peru contained agave fibers and textile fragments that were dated to about 12,000 years ago. That's the oldest evidence of textile use in the Americas to date.
The earliest example of cordage in North America is at Windover Bog in Florida, where the special circ*mstances of the bog chemistry preserved textiles (among other things) dated to 8,000 years ago.
Silk making, which is made from thread derived from insect cases rather than plant material, was invented during the Longshan period in China, ca 3500-2000 BCE.
Finally, one extremely important (and unique in the world) use of string in South America was as quipu, a system of communication composed of knotted and dyed cotton and llama wool string used by many South American civilizations at least 5,000 years ago.
FAQs
Egyptians are credited as being one of the first groups of people to practice agriculture on a large scale. This was possible because of the ingenuity of the Egyptians as they developed basin irrigation.
How did the Egyptians become so smart? ›
Ancient Egyptians had a profound interest in science and astronomy, which played a significant role in their society. Their knowledge of the natural world and celestial bodies stemmed from a combination of observation, religious beliefs, and practical applications.
How did ancient people move giant stones? ›
The generally accepted theory is that the ancient Egyptians dragged the blocks on sledges over causeways made of either slaked lime or tafla (a local clay). The remains of causeways constructed of tafla have been found all over the Giza plateau (Hadingham 1992, p.
How did ancient people drill holes? ›
The ancient pyramid builders used a technique for drilling holes that is commonly known as "trepanning." This technique leaves a central core and is an efficient means of hole making. For holes that didn't go all the way through the material, they reached a desired depth and then broke the core out of the hole.
What did people do in ancient Egypt? ›
Life in ancient Egypt
Most people in ancient Egypt were farmers. They lived with their families in houses made of mud bricks that were near the Nile River. The Nile flooded each year, leaving behind fertile soil for planting crops like wheat, barley, lettuce, flax, and papyrus.
Who was the smartest god in ancient Egypt? ›
Thoth became credited by the ancient Egyptians as the inventor of writing (hieroglyphs), and was also considered to have been the scribe of the underworld. For this reason, Thoth was universally worshipped by ancient Egyptian scribes.
How were the ancient Egyptians so advanced? ›
Some of their most advanced structures like the pyramids and temples came from their ability to engineer with mathematics. This also led to their inventions of the ramp and lever which helped them build their great cities. They also invented the plow which increased the efficiency of farming.
What did ancient Egypt invent that we still use today? ›
The ancient Egyptians invented toothbrushes, toothpaste, ink, cosmetics, paper and even the very first form of a breath mint.
Could we build the pyramids today? ›
Building a Great Pyramid today would involve using modern technology such as concrete instead of stone, significantly simplifying construction compared to the ancient methods believed to have been used, which required thousands of workers and decades of labor.
How did Egyptians cut stone so perfectly? ›
The harder stones, such as granite, granodiorite, syenite, and basalt, cannot be cut with copper tools alone; instead, they were worked with time-consuming methods like pounding with dolerite, drilling, and sawing with the aid of an abrasive, such as quartz sand.
The pyramids were designed with astronomical precision, with each side facing a cardinal point. The base was made flat by filling channels with water to mark the level, and the corners were perfectly aligned using bisected angles.
Can bronze cut granite? ›
“…as neither copper nor bronze is sufficiently hard to cut such stones as basalt, diorite, granite, quartzite and schist, a harder material than the metal is required to do the work which must have been used either in the form of [fixed] cutting points [teeth] or as a loose [abrasive] powder . . . in my opinion, it was ...
Who invented drill first? ›
It is credited to mining engineers Arthur James Arnot and William Blanch Brain of Melbourne, Australia who patented the electric drill in 1889. The first portable handheld drill was created by in 1895 by brothers Wilhelm & Carl Fein of Stuttgart, Germany.
What medical discovery did the Egyptians make? ›
Ancient Egyptians identified natural substances with antibiotic properties, such as honey and onions, that could be used to treat infections. In addition, they discovered the anti-inflammatory properties of incense, which was derived from the olibanum tree.
How were ancient Egyptians so advanced? ›
Some of their most advanced structures like the pyramids and temples came from their ability to engineer with mathematics. This also led to their inventions of the ramp and lever which helped them build their great cities. They also invented the plow which increased the efficiency of farming.
What are 3 specific things that ancient Egypt is remembered for? ›
The many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying, and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems, and agricultural production techniques, the ...
What was the most important discovery made in ancient Egypt? ›
The List
| # | Discovery | Influence on Modern Life |
|---|
| 1 | Khufu ship | Fast shipping |
| 2 | Unfinished obelisk | Fast construction |
| 3 | The Great Pyramid | Labour unions |
| 4 | Tomb of Tutankhamun | None |
6 more rowsThe ancient Egyptian individuals in their own dataset possessed highly similar mtDNA haplogroup profiles, and cluster together, supporting genetic continuity across the 1,300-year transect. Modern Egyptians shared this mtDNA haplogroup profile, but also carried 8% more African component.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/a-section-of-blue-denim-jeans-483446419-f91daac7b1234bc98260f036f622f508.jpg "What Ancient People Did With a Little String and a Lot of Ingenuity (1)")
