Ancient Egyptian Weaving

The ancient Egyptians used weaving as both an art form and as a tool. They used many different raw materials. They also made some very interesting woven products. Ancient Egyptians used a similar weaving process as we do today.

Ancient Egyptians used many of the same materials for weaving as we do today, even after 7,000 years. They used many different materials, most of which were locally and widely available. They used reed bundles in their earlier basketry, and then a wider variety of materials later on. The used flax, grasses which they made into cordage (twine, string, rope, etc.), clay for waterproofing basketry, fibrous leaves of different species of palm trees, papyrus, threads made out of stems and twigs, and occasionally leather. They didn’t use wool or cotton very much though due to a lack of local availability.

They ancient Egyptians wove many different things. Some of these are made similarly today; some are not associated with weaving at all today. Some of their woven items that are still woven today are baskets, bags, linen, mats, and carrying baskets with handles. They would sometimes put animal designs on their baskets. Some of their rather unusual woven items were grain silos, sandals, rafts, furniture, roofing, flooring, and door and window covers. They could make up to 54 square feet of matting in a single day. Weaving was generally lighter and more flexible than pottery, but not as durable. Weaving also influenced carpentry and pottery techniques.

The weaving in ancient Egypt has changed little over the past 7,000 years. They had the same over-under techniques that we use today along with some over-under variations. The made most woven fabrics on a loom, which is like a framework to put the threads onto. They made baskets 3 different ways; plaited, coiled, and twined. Plaited basketry is used most commonly today and required no stitching. It is made using an under over technique with a framework of reeds. Coiled basketry involved making a spiral twine base and then spiraling around the base to make walls out of twine. It then needed to be stitched in place.  Twined basketry consisted of wrapping twine around a vertical framework, and would need to be stitched into place.

Ancient Egyptians used mostly locally available materials for weaving. They wove many unique and interesting objects. Ancient Egyptian weaving is very similar to modern day weaving, even after over 7,000 years.

Bibliography

Bizzari, Heba Fatteen. “Basketry in Ancient and Modern Egypt.”

          http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/basketry.html. 1-10-2010.

“Ancient Egyptian Basketry.” http://www.reshafin.org/ad/   

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“Flax.” http://www.reshafim.org.il/egypt/timelines/topics/flax.html.

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Watson, Philip J. Costumes of Ancient Egypt. New York: Chelsea House

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