by Rhonda Allen

Created on: December 11, 2008   Last Updated: June 28, 2009

The oldest piece of fabric ever found and positively identified was a small piece of flax-fiber linen wrapped around the handle of a tool discovered near the Tigris River in Turkey and dated to approximately 7000 BC. The flax plant has been used in the making of clothing since the dawn of civilization, and it's use has been documented in nearly every ancient culture and throughout every era of time.

The earliest written record of the use of flax to make material dates to about the year 3000BC, when the Babylonians cultivated flax in the deltas of their Fertile Crescent. Art in the excavated burial chambers of ancient Babylonians depict the production and use of flax to create clothing and blankets.

Flax was the only crop grown in ancient Egypt for the production of clothing and material. Egyptians did not produce cotton in the early days of their civilization, and they rarely used wool for fiber production. Nearly all clothing and materials were produced from linen made from flax plants and sewn with flax based thread. The Egyptians produced linen tunics and loose pants, almost entirely from the soft fibers of young flax plants.

Ancient Egyptians believed that Flax was a gift from their gods and wrote poems about the plant, painted pictures of and about flax in their tombs, and commemorated it's usage in their ancient records. Flax fibers are among the strongest plant fibers known to man, and the ancient Egyptians knew a great deal about the cultivation and production of flax for clothing.

In Ancient Greece, flax was used for many types of clothing. Producing material from flax required great time and effort. The plants were gathered, combed to remove seeds, and then soaked. The plants were then beaten repeatedly to soften the fibers. After being beaten, the fibers were sorted according to their softness. Soft fibers were used for underclothes or shirts. The tougher flax fibers were woven into the linen that was used to create bags, aprons, or large pieces of cloth for wrapping as blankets or to cover things to protect them from the elements.

The Chinese used flax to create both linen cloth, and also in the production of flax seed oil. This oil was used in the creation of a water resistant material called broadcloth. The flax oil was applied to canvas either with a brush or through immersion, and the oil-coated material was used to keep things safe during the rainy season.

Greek clothing makers uses linen extensively. The ancient Roman, Tacitus, wrote about the virtues of flax. French people from the 8th century wore clothing from flax spun into linen threads. Even the Native Americans gathered the naturally growing flax to make twine that was woven into fishing nets.

No single plant has had a greater place in the history of clothing production than the strong and versatile flax plant. From ancient to modern day, flax has been at the forefront of material craftsmanship.

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