Prehistoric Textile Explorations
It started somewhere in my childhood, a fascination with all things ancient. I dreamed of becoming an archaeologist (still wish I would have)... It's always been there, lurking in my background- these central questions:
How did we get here? Why are things the way they are?
How far back can our understanding go?
How did our ancestors see their worlds and what did they leave behind?
I've always been looking- in books and stories, in nature. My amateur efforts were mostly dabbling, until the pandemic hit in 2020. My stress response took several forms- I HAD to keep my hands busy (LOTS of embroidery, knitting, and quilting), and I HAD to become a more focused student of the ancient world.
I think it started with cinnamon. (What a fun sentence to write!) I saw a documentary whose name I can't remember- something PBS-y, on the ancient spice trade. The thousands of miles spices did (and still do) travel across the world to meet the demands of the world's taste buds. Routes dating back over 4,000 years. The trade routes, the conflicts, the environmental consequences and obstacles. The connection of cultures, the making of cuisine.
From there it's been a steady road, always taking me further back in time. I've read of the evolution of our Homo Sapien species and all our overlapping cousins across the planet, the movements of peoples at the end of the last Ice Age, the development of ritual and religious thought, the development of farming, of civilization, and of course, of textiles and sewing. Now in my 40's, this is my full-time obsession. I am an amateur, a layperson to be sure, but I am doing everything I can to educate myself on the ancient history of humanity (I'd head back to school in an instant if I won the lottery, but as it is, I don't need anymore school debt...)
These days I'm working on my first novel and the story centers on women & embroidery in Bronze Age Europe. In the novel there is a dress- an embroidered dress- that plays an important role for the characters. I can't give you spoilers 😉 .... but I find that I MUST create this imagined dress as part of my creative process.
This year I've been researching textiles and sewing tools of the Neolithic and Bronze ages. I am a total novice at this point, but my hope is to share this process with you as I go, and to point you to the resources that are guiding me should you want to learn more.
I'll be sewing and embellishing this dress by hand, using stone age tools and time-period-appropriate materials. Some tools/materials I will make myself, and others I will source from local makers. It will be a slow endeavor. But in bringing this garment to life, I will also be giving life to the story in my imagination, and -I hope- sparking your curiosity and appreciation for all that goes into the creation of a garment. How precious and sacred it can be- how much life and time and intention goes into all that we wear (even in this modern age of automation).
So, come along as I fumble forward- with bones, antlers, flint, flax, wool, pricked fingers, and lots of trial & error.
And, when you think of it, give a thought to the women and men who for thousands of years have spent their lives clothing us all.
