The origins of knitting have always been murky because our raw materials are biodegradable. We know that the oldest piece of knitting that has been found is about 3,000 years old, but its sophistication (a sock with intricate colorwork) indicates that knitting had been around for a while before it was made.
A rare link to the world of ancient fiber arts was recently found in England, when archaeologists at the Must Farm site (which has been compared to Pompeii in terms of the level of preservation in the boggy area) found a 1 centimeter ball of yarn.
“When we first started finding such incredibly preserved textiles it was very difficult to believe it could really be 3,000 years old given how amazing its condition was,” scientists reported on Facebook. “Equally, the quality and fineness of the fibres was just astonishing.”
How cool is that?
[Photo via Must Farm Archaeology.]
diane sullock says
what kind of yarn was it ? wool or flax?
Sarah White says
They actually don’t say. My guess would be wool in England, but I don’t know.