In the earliest times, human beings dwelt in caves in densely forested mountains. Their way of life was primitive. Before the development of textiles they had nothing but leaves and grass to use as clothing. Necessity prompted the eventual discovery of furs to use for protection against the cold. Thus, these early humans began to wrap themselves in animal skins.
In the last phase of the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic Period 2.5 million - 10,000 years ago), Peking Man inhabited the hilltop of Zhoukoudian (south-western district of Beijing), Zhiyu Man lived in Su County (Shaanxi Province), and Hutouliang Man lived in Yangyuan County (Hebei Province). Among the remains dug up in caves where these primitive people once lived, needles made of animal bone and horn were found. This was an important discovery that provided evidence that the art of sewing was known several tens of thousands of years ago. One needle that was found measured 8.2 cm. It was made by grinding and rubbing, with the eye of the needle perforated by a sharp point. Such needles were used to sew animal pelts together to make clothing.
The production of textiles in China dates from very early times. It existed as a side-line of agriculture for a long time in history. It was also an important influence in various phases of social and cultural life as well as being a main factor in the development of social productive forces. However, as the passing on of expertise in textile manufacturing was mainly done by verbal instruction and personal example, the number of related literary records that have come down to us is perhaps not so large as those in connection with agriculture. Therefore, in order to trace the origins of the development of textiles, we must also look at the development and origin of agriculture.
One record that we do have that textile manufacturing occupied a unique position in China's national culture is its influence on the language of the Han (206 B.C.E. - 221 C.E.) period. In the language of the Han nationality, we find that many words, which are now used in a wide range of meanings, can be traced to various spinning or weaving processes in use in very ancient times. It sometimes happens that the current meanings of certain words are so greatly extended that without an adequate etymological knowledge we could hardly detect their connection with textile production.
China was an agricultural society as early as the New Stone Age (Neolithic Period c. 5000 - 2500 B.C.E.). The Chinese people gradually developed an agricultural science which provided a lasting basis on which other sciences such as astronomy, geography, mathematics, water-conservation and pharmacology took shape and evolved. As textile production existed as a sideline to agriculture, the evolution of the science of textiles would have paralleled that of agriculture.
This agricultural connection was important to the period before cloth could be woven on the loom. Raw materials from which textiles fibres could be obtained had to be learnt first. They also had to gain experience in the preparation of fibres (splicing, spinning, twisting) in order to make them durable, strong and suited to the weaving process
By about 4,000 - 3,000 B.C.E. matriarchal communities in China's primitive society had reached a stage of prosperity and primitive agriculture and handicrafts began to develop. These early people used bast fibres such as hemp, ramie and bean-creeper (also known as ³vine creeper² or ³pueraria thunbergiana²). Such fibres were twisted into threads by hand or with stone or earthenware spindles. These threads would then be woven into cloth. To obtain the fiber material, the Chinese peasants used similar processing techniques for all these long staple bast fibres. The evolution of these processes and techniques have influenced and made it possible to have the textile industries of today.
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Agriculture of the People's Republic of China
The Encyclopededia Britannica
Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books
Campina Grande
The Kudzu Collection
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Page design by Helene Ramos, Valerie Lin, Robert Hecksher
(Basic Design, City College of San Francisco)
The production of textiles in China dates from very early times. It existed as a side-line of agriculture for a long time in history. It was also an important influence in various phases of social and cultural life as well as being a main factor in the development of social productive forces. However, as the passing on of expertise in textile manufacturing was mainly done by verbal instruction and personal example, the number of related literary records that have come down to us is perhaps not so large as those in connection with agriculture. Therefore, in order to trace the origins of the development of textiles, we must also look at the development and origin of agriculture.
One record that we do have that textile manufacturing occupied a unique position in China's national culture is its influence on the language of the Han (206 B.C.E. - 221 C.E.) period. In the language of the Han nationality, we find that many words, which are now used in a wide range of meanings, can be traced to various spinning or weaving processes in use in very ancient times. It sometimes happens that the current meanings of certain words are so greatly extended that without an adequate etymological knowledge we could hardly detect their connection with textile production.
China was an agricultural society as early as the New Stone Age (Neolithic Period c. 5000 - 2500 B.C.E.). The Chinese people gradually developed an agricultural science which provided a lasting basis on which other sciences such as astronomy, geography, mathematics, water-conservation and pharmacology took shape and evolved. As textile production existed as a sideline to agriculture, the evolution of the science of textiles would have paralleled that of agriculture.
This agricultural connection was important to the period before cloth could be woven on the loom. Raw materials from which textiles fibres could be obtained had to be learnt first. They also had to gain experience in the preparation of fibres (splicing, spinning, twisting) in order to make them durable, strong and suited to the weaving process
To find out more info, click here
Research by .........
Page design by Helene Ramos, Valerie Lin, Robert Hecksher
(Basic Design, City College of San Francisco)