T ▶ textiles and needlework introduction Archaeologists assume that the earliest clothing worn by humans were animal skins With textiles, people were able to make clothing from hair such as wool and plants such as flax, the source of linen Silk, which is made from cocoons of the silk worm, was an almost miraculous discovery made by people near the Yellow River in China in about 1900 b.c.e One disadvantage all textiles had was that they each needed to be produced in the appropriate climate Sheep, the source of most wool, needed open grasslands for their herds Cotton required long hot seasons Thus, the most common textiles of early times were those that traveled well—that is, ones that prospered in a wider variety of climates than most This meant that hemp, in particular, was the common source of fabric used by the poor, because it was durable and would grow even in nutrient-poor soils Textiles did not pop up everywhere at once Indeed, a newly appointed Chinese governor to far northern China in the 100s c.e was dismayed to find that the people of the region wore few textiles and tried to keep warm by wearing grasses Flax, which produced one of the most durable and comfortable of textiles, spread only slowly across the Old World, probably still not having reached Japan by the 300s c.e For ancient people in cold climates or places with cold winters, textiles were valued for their ability to hold in warmth Thus, among the nomadic peoples of Asia, wool was especially valued It might be itchier than cotton or linen, but where warmth mattered most, wool was preferred In warm climates, and even some with harsh winters but warm summers, people often did without textiles, because staying warm was not their highest priority for survival In Sumer people often wore only wool skirts; in southeastern Asia and Japan, many people wore only loincloths, typically made of animal skin In India the notion of wearing clothing for modesty did not arrive until the Muslim invasion Still, in these places where textiles were not a necessity, they were valued for their decorative possibilities Someone in India who might wear little in everyday life would nonetheless wish to wear colorful fabrics when attending a wedding or other important social event The earliest colors for textiles were paint and dyes Painted textiles appeared in dry areas, such as the lands northwest of China More common than painted textiles were dyed textiles, probably because dyes were preferred over paint Whether dyeing textiles was an idea that originated in one place and then spread or was an idea that began in many different places is not clear, although the use of dyes by ancient Americans suggests that dyeing was an idea with different origins in different places The use of dyes says much about human beings and their needs Although ancient textiles are hard to find, those that are extant are rarely plain brown or white Usually the textiles are colored Whether worn by the rich or the poor, they almost always have decoration, indicating that people wanted beauty in their lives even with simple textiles Even embroidery, often associated with richly decorated robes for special occasions, would be used to brighten hems or add attractive images to textiles for everyday use 1073