Tours: Leather & Linen in Ancient Egypt

Learn about the uses of leather and linen in ancient Egypt.
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|-|Tanning Leather=
Tanning, a process which dates from prehistoric times, was present although not highly valued in Egypt due to the heat.
Leather was reserved mainly for things such as sandals, leather bags, dagger sheaths, quivers, and other similar items.
Leopard hides, unlike regular leather, were highly valued and usually worn by priests.
|-|Linen Fabric=
Valued for its coolness and freshness in hot weather, linen was the fiber most commonly used for fabrics and textiles. It was produced from flax, which was plentiful in Egypt.
Fibers were usually dyed before weaving. While color was used in the production of textiles, dyes weren't commonly used for clothing and most Egyptians wore white. The color represented spiritual purity, a goal to reach for every day of one's mortal life.
|-|Dyeing=
Various shades were achieved using woad, a dye produced from the leaves of Isatis Tinctoria.
The plant was cultivated for this purpose within the Nile Delta, and allowed for the creation of various colors. For example, different maceration times of the leaves would result in colors ranging from red to green, while adding in limestone shifted it to blue.
During the Greco-Roman period other ingredients were found, resulting in a wider range of colors.
|-|The Tanneries of Fez, Morocco=
(Behind the Scenes)This area's style is strongly influenced by the dye baths and tanneries of modern day , in Morocco. This helped Ubisoft envision what such locations might have been like in ancient Egypt.
While this tannery is within the city walls, back then they were often found outside the city boundaries. The tanner's trade was considered off-putting by the Greeks, as all these operations resulted in noxious smells.
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Category:Discovery Tour: Ancient Egypt