Ancient Textiles and Writing

Ancient Textiles and Writing

Ancient civilizations are often associated with huge monuments, written scrolls, and great battles. However, people often overlook textiles. Textiles played a massive role in shaping ancient civilizations. From the wrapping of Egyptian mummies to the intricate tapestries of the Andes, textiles were not just practical items; they also carried cultural narratives. The history of textiles and the history of writing are surprisingly intertwined. Therefore, this blog aims to explore the relationship between textiles and writing. It looks into how textiles helped keep records and communicate and influenced early writings.

Textiles as Early Records

During ancient times. Textiles were heavily used as mediums of record keeping, this was before the onset of parchment and paper. Some of the popular users of textiles as a means of record keeping were the Inca civilization. They used knotted cord referred to as “khipus” to document data collected during census, they used the same method to document trade transactions and store narratives (Urton, 2003).  According to Salomon, (2004), these methods of record keeping were very complicated that some scholar believed that they were three dimensional.

In ancient Mesopotamia, discovered artefacts such as the cuneiform tablets often referenced the use of textile in recording agreements. The region does not have any textile document discovered but there are texts that suggests fabric played a role in early administrative systems (Barber, 1991).

Symbolism and Script: Textiles as Proto-Writing

Early symbolic communication was embedded in textile patterns. The Tartaria tablets of Neolithic Europe discovered in 1961 by Nicolae Vlassa at a site in the village of Tartaria had symbols on them that resembled woven designs, These symbols are a representation of the link between textile decorations and early script (Haarmann, 1995). Another historical link between textile and writing is in the Egyptian hieroglyphs. The hieroglyphs contained symbols that originated from woven motifs. Some of these include the “shen” (loop) which represented eternity. In China, the presence of weaving and embroidery patterns influenced logographic development according to Kuhn, (1988). The symmetrical, grid-like nature of weaving aligns with the structured forms of early Chinese script

Sacred and Ceremonial Texts Woven in Cloth

In ancient Egypt, textile often served sacred significance as a ritualistic object as well as aiding in storytelling. According to Quirke, (2013), The “Book of the Dead” discovered in ancient Egypt was inscribed on linen. Similarly, the “Bayeux Tapestry” was an embroidery that depicted the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It demonstrates how cloth could narrate historical events as effectively as written accounts. In the Americas, Indians inscribed the Mixtec codices on deerskins which resembled woven screens, this suggested a link between books and textile as a method of storing information (Boone, 2000). The Maya showed scribes in their arts that were holding cloth-bound books, evidence that there exists a connection between writing and fabric.

The Decline and Legacy of Textile Writing

As time went by, parchment, papyrus, and paper became popular and easy to use, leading to a gradual decline in textile-based recording systems. However, they leave a historical link between textile and text” The very word ‘text’ derives from the Latin ‘texere’, meaning "to weave," a linguistic relic of this intertwined history (Ong, 1982)”. To date, online discussions are referred to as threads, unconsciously echoing ancient metaphors.   

Conclusion

Textiles were far more than just clothing or decoration in the ancient world—they were dynamic mediums of communication, precursors to writing, and vital cultural artifacts. From the knotted “khipus” of the Andes to the symbolic weavings of Neolithic Europe, fabric played a crucial role in human expression. By studying these intersections, we gain a richer understanding of how our ancestors recorded their lives, beliefs, and histories—not just in ink and stone, but in thread and loom. 

References

Barber, E. J. W. (1991). “Prehistoric Textiles: The Development of Cloth in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages”. Princeton University Press. 

Boone, E. H. (2000). “Stories in Red and Black: Pictorial Histories of the Aztecs and Mixtecs”. University of Texas Press. 

Haarmann, H. (1995). “Early Civilization and Literacy in Europe: An Inquiry into Cultural Continuity in the Mediterranean World”. Mouton de Gruyter. 

Kuhn, D. (1988). “Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 9, Textile Technology”. Cambridge University Press. 

Quirke, S. (2013). “Going Out in Daylight: The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead”. Golden House Publications. 

Salomon, F. (2004). “The Cord Keepers: Khipus and Cultural Life in a Peruvian Village”. Duke University Press. 

Urton, G. (2003). “Signs of the Inka Khipu: Binary Coding in the Andean Knotted-String Records”. University of Texas Press.