The oldest piece of textile

14 March 2011 11:57 am - 16 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The Archeology Department today said that tests recently conducted on a piece of silk found in Kota Vehera, Rambukkana in Kegalle indicated that the silk is 2200 years old and is the oldest piece of textile found in Sri Lanka to this date.

Archeology Department Director General, Senarath Dissanayake told the Daily Mirror that the piece of silk, found during an excavation in 2001 belonged to the 2nd century BC and is 2cm x 2cm in length and width. “It is difficult to identify the original colour of the silk as it is in a decayed state,” Dissanayake said.

“The piece of silk was found along with a miniature replica of a stupa, five stone caskets and a quartz replica of a stupa,” he said. He said previous findings of silk material have been from the Kandyan period.

He said the silk was found by an Australian Scholar from the Australian National University, Judith Cameron who had conducted tests on a sample of the silk the results of which were recently received by the Archeology Department. (Olindhi Jayasundere)

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Comments - 16

dutugamunu Monday, 14 March 2011 12:16 PM

Wow .. cool !! 2200 years ago ppl in this country used to wear cloths...

Dinithi Monday, 14 March 2011 12:11 PM

of course what did you think? this is 300 years after buddha. even during the buddha's time we wore clothes.

Anushka Monday, 14 March 2011 12:30 PM

Vijaya came to Sri Lanka on a ship 2500 years ago, so we can safely assume they were quite advanced for their time and did wear clothes.

Pedro Monday, 14 March 2011 12:53 PM

I found older ones in Laksala textile section!

hinapaala Monday, 14 March 2011 12:52 PM

R U WEARING ONE NOW????
:-P

TMA Monday, 14 March 2011 12:57 PM

Cool discovery

A. Radella Monday, 14 March 2011 01:50 PM

Of course, Princes Kuweni had a garment factory, probably world’s first.

punchi Monday, 14 March 2011 01:55 PM

y not ???
Sri lanka was one the most advance civilizations in the world

Citizen Monday, 14 March 2011 04:33 PM

Worth investigating more on this piece of fabric whether it was manufactured in sri lanka or imported?

gona Monday, 14 March 2011 07:40 PM

Report says it of Silk, so when did SL produce silk??? Probably Chinese silk. and yes worth further investigation..

Faqi Monday, 14 March 2011 07:47 PM

If the piece of fabric is silk, then it came from China. Fabric Silk production, or 'Sericulture' as it is known, has a long history. Historians say that silk originated in China about 5,000 years ago.

Lalindra Tuesday, 15 March 2011 03:12 AM

Why cant SL produce and make silk in those days?
It is to investigate

Gotukola Tuesday, 15 March 2011 04:42 AM

Heard of the "Silk Road"?

Silk Tuesday, 15 March 2011 06:48 AM

We have to investigate why SL cant produce silk nowadays...

Faqi Tuesday, 15 March 2011 08:29 AM

Lalindra - I doubt very much the Sinhala people in 400CE were producing silk fabrics. They were more of an agrarian feudal society at the time.

Tom SamUsa Tuesday, 15 March 2011 08:59 AM

Please read wikileaks , this is nothing but a piece of amude left over by pakse clan.

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The oldest piece of textile

Comments - 16

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