subject: Excavating the Tombs of Carpet History [print this page] Excavating the Tombs of Carpet History Excavating the Tombs of Carpet History
Carpet manufacturing is one of the fastest growing industries in textile trade. There has been a significant increase in the number of carpet manufacturers around the world. The competition in creating new design patterns and styles for carpet motifs has become stronger. Nevertheless, what most manufacturers barely know is that carpet weaving dates back to the ancient Neolithic Era.
The oldest carpet specimen has been excavated from a Greek royalty's tomb in Pazyryk Valley in the Altai Mountains, Siberia. Historians say that it belonged to the Shiite dynasty of the Greek civilization in 5th century BC. The oldest ancient weaving has intricate design patterns with sophisticated knots and strong fabric. Its refined weaving technique has made it a durable material against changing weather conditions. Because of this, historians say that carpets both serve as a piece for adornment and protection in the dwellings of ancient people.
Moreover, pieces of evidence collected from the Middle East reveal that the art of carpet weaving has begun as early as 2ndcentury BC. The art of knotting ropes and weaving fabric has gradually spread in Middle East region. The growth of trade and commerce paved way for merchants to sell knotted commodities in Europe. Trade of carpets spread in Turkey, Caucasus, Persia, Anatolia, China, and India. Today, these areas comprise a region known as the "Oriental Carpet Belt".
Throughout centuries, carpets are considered sacred ornaments in the Oriental Carpet Belt. Carpet cleaning (Carrollton, Georgia offers elaborate carpet cleaning services) is done not only to keep the fabrics clean, but also to preserve the carpet material. In fact, carpets woven before 1920 are considered "antique". These are even auctioned for antique collections and preserved for museum displays.
Carpets that are woven from 1921 up to the present are called "modern carpets". Manufacturing process of carpets has evolved from the use of natural dyes and manual cloth weavers to colored chemicals and electric-generated machines. Long-time carpet cleaners (Carrollton, Georgia has various service outlets for carpet cleaning) say that antique carpets are more difficult to wash than modern carpets.
The carpets that you see today in markets are products of historical traditions and ancient civilizations. Hence, carpet cleaning (Carrollton, GA provides expert carpet cleaning services) has become more sophisticated to preserve the cultural value of the ancient civilizations that the carpets represent.
