Breaking news ! A 6000 years old fabric dyed with indigo is discovered in Peru.
This is the oldest world’s indigo testimony that was founded recently, in the mountains of Peru, by archaeologist Junius Bird.
This piece of cotton fabric, found in Huaca Pietra – north coast of Peru – was dyed with indigofera flowers, which are native to South America and still used as dye plants today. The desert climate preserves organic materials and a great many early textiles made from wild cotton indigenous to the area have been unearthed there.
It’s the proof that indigo pigment was used long time ago, 1800 years before the Fifth Egyptian dinasty, which we thought -until then- that they had been the first ones to adopt it.
Diagram & photo of specimen
The dry peruvian desert help the preservation of this treasure.
This discovery reminds us that 6000years ago, south american were growing cotton and indigo, but also, using the « canvas » technic, long time before traditional weaving.
The textile fragments are now in the Cao Museum, in Trujillo, Peru.
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