Article: History of Linen
History of Linen
History of Linen Fabrics
Linen fibre, yarn, and cloth derived from the flax plant. One of the first textile fibres used by humans is flax, and prehistoric lake houses in Switzerland have shown signs of its use. Ancient Egyptian tombs have yielded fine linen textiles for discovery. Plant stalks are subjected to a number of processes, including retting, drying, crushing, and pounding, in order to get the fibre.
As early as 7000 BCE, flax was one of the earliest crops to be grown in the fertile crescent. As far back as 6000 BCE, Dead Sea linen items have been discovered. According to Swiss lake findings, the first linen objects in Europe date to about 4000 BCE. The commerce in linen is said to have begun with the invention of flax weaving by the Babylonians. But in the ancient world, linen was most associated with the Egyptians. Textiles found in Egyptian tombs have been astonishingly well-preserved because to the desert's unusually dry atmosphere. Bolts of linen fabrics, exquisite linen gowns, tunics, and linen household items have all been discovered in pharaoh's tombs in addition to the kilometres of linen used to wrap the mummies. For many years after the Ancient Egyptians, linen remained a basic fabric for apparel in the West.
A new born baby must be dressed in linen, and the beds in a neonatal critical care unit must be covered with linen. A particular type of grass known as flax produces linen (Satpatha Brahmana). In the Vedic literature, hymns to warp, weft, looms, and female weavers were specifically mentioned. When spinning and weaving, different Vedic hymns were performed, and decorated garments might be a source of uplifting, holistic energy.