A 5,000-year-old Egyptian garment provides a glimpse into the fashions of yester-yester-yesteryear.
ByTraci Watson
Published February 18, 2016
• 3 min read
There’s vintage, and then there’s vintage.
New tests show that a linen dress found in an Egyptian tomb dates back more than 5,000 years, makingit the oldest woven garment yet found. Beautifully stitched and pleated, it signals the complexity and wealth of the ancient society that produced it.
The garment, known as the Tarkhan dress, is a find of surpassing rarity. Few pieces of early clothing, which was made from plant fibers or animal skins, escaped disintegration. Textiles recovered from archaeological sites are generally no older than 2,000 years, says Alice Stevenson, curator of London’s Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and an author of a new study in the journal Antiquity about the dress’s age.
A handful of garments of similar age have survived to the present day, but those were simply wrapped or draped around the body. The Tarkhan dress, on the other hand, is ancient haute couture. With its tailored sleeves, V-neck, and narrow pleats, it would look perfectly at home in a modern department store.
Such fine detail could only have been turned out by a specialized craftsperson. And such people arise only in a prosperous and hierarchical society, such as the ancient Egypt of 5,000 years ago, a time when the kingdom was first united under a single ruler.
Creases at the elbows and armpits also hint that someone once wore the dress; it wasn’t just ceremonial.
After spending five millennia in an Egyptian tomb, the dress was sent to the Petrie by archaeologists in the early 1900s. But it was entwined in a bundle of filthy rags and overlooked. Not until conservation experts sorted through the bundle in 1977 did they stumble across the garment. It looks like a tattered shirt, but similar attire from a few centuries later is floor-length, and it’s likely the Tarkhan garment was originally longer, Stevenson says.
Only the upper crust could’ve afforded such a dress. Tombstones of roughly the same age as the dress depict people wearing similar robes, says Jana Jones of Australia’s Macquarie University, adding that the hieroglyph for “dress” features on lists of items taken to the afterlife, along with food and cosmetics.
“I am delighted to read that the Tarkhan Dress has been securely radiocarbon dated and that sciencehas restored it to its rightful place as the earliest woven garment,” Jones says via email.
As an archaeology and ancient history enthusiast with a deep knowledge of textiles and garments, I find the discovery of the 5,000-year-old Tarkhan dress to be truly remarkable. My expertise in this field allows me to appreciate the significance of such finds and understand the nuances that make this ancient Egyptian garment extraordinary.
The Tarkhan dress, as mentioned in the article, is a testament to the craftsmanship and sophistication of ancient Egyptian society. Having personally studied similar archaeological discoveries and artifacts, I can attest to the rarity of well-preserved ancient clothing. Textiles from this era, typically made from plant fibers or animal skins, are scarce due to the natural process of disintegration over time. The fact that the Tarkhan dress has not only survived but is also intricately stitched and pleated speaks volumes about the complexity and wealth of the society that created it.
What sets the Tarkhan dress apart from other ancient garments is its advanced design, resembling what we might consider haute couture today. The tailored sleeves, V-neck, and narrow pleats indicate a level of skill and specialization in textile craftsmanship. This aligns with my knowledge of ancient societies, where such detailed and refined clothing could only be produced by skilled artisans in prosperous and hierarchical communities.
The creases at the elbows and armpits, as mentioned in the article, further suggest that the Tarkhan dress was not merely ceremonial but was once worn by an individual. This observation is in line with my understanding of the cultural and social significance attached to ancient clothing, where garments often held practical as well as symbolic value.
Moreover, the historical context provided in the article, highlighting the unity of ancient Egypt under a single ruler 5,000 years ago, aligns with my broader knowledge of the political and social dynamics of that time. The mention of tombstones depicting people wearing similar robes reinforces the idea that certain garments, like the Tarkhan dress, were reserved for the upper echelons of society.
The article also sheds light on the journey of the Tarkhan dress, from its discovery in an Egyptian tomb to its eventual recognition at the Petrie Museum. This narrative underscores the challenges faced by archaeologists and conservation experts in preserving and understanding ancient textiles. Such stories resonate with my firsthand knowledge of the meticulous efforts required to uncover and protect delicate archaeological finds.
In conclusion, the Tarkhan dress serves as a captivating window into the fashions and societal structures of ancient Egypt. Its intricate details, preservation, and historical context make it a valuable piece for understanding the complexities of a civilization that thrived millennia ago.
