Tarkhan Dress - World's Oldest Existing Woven Garment
 |
| Image Credit: Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London |
The garment, known as the Tarkhan dress, was originally excavated by Egyptologist Flinders Petrie in 1913 from a First Dynasty tomb at Tarkhan, an Egyptian cemetery located 50km south of Cairo, lay unidentified with other weathered textiles until 1977 when it was sent to the Victoria and Albert Museum in England for conservation.
Despite its current decrepit state, the 'Tarkhan Dress', which is currently kept at the University College London(UCL) Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, featuring knife-pleated sleeves and bodice with a naturally-beautiful pale grey stripped design and its detailed stitching and tailoring, for either a teenager or a slender woman, suggests it was for a member of the elite. Original length of dress is currently unknown as its lower part is missing.
In its release, UCL states that radiocarbon testing on 2.24mg sample of garment was conducted in 2015 by the University of Oxford’s radiocarbon unit led by Michael Dee, affirms with 95% accuracy that the dress dates from between 3482 and 3102 BCE. According to the team, creases at the elbows and armpits indicates it was worn in life.
Sources: National Geographic,
Tarkhan Dress - World's Oldest Existing Woven Garment
Reviewed by Vasanth
on
March 01, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by Vasanth
on
March 01, 2017
Rating:
