Linen textile - Research Paper Example

16 Aug. Linen Textile Historical Background Linen is the textile retrieved by processing the fibers of the plant of Flax that has a long history. Flax was cultivated in different parts of the world in ancient times and accordingly, Linen happens to be amongst the oldest of all sorts of fabrics. An archeological dig carried out at the site of Neolithic lake dwellings in Switzerland turned up charred remains of food prepared from flaxseed, and remnants of linen threads, ropes, clothe and fishing nets…Traces of flax cultivation relating to the Bronze Age were found in archeological excavations in Spain.

However, most of the finds of early flax cultivation relate to the Iron Age. They show that perennial narrow-leafed flax was cultivated all across Europe as far as Scandinavia. (Gunnsdottir).In ancient Egypt, Flax was grown on a large scale in the 4th millennium BC. Ancient Egyptians used Flax for making gowns and tunics. The fine bandages with which, the mummies were wrapped were also made of Flax fibers. Its frequent use by ancient Egyptians could be attributed to its extremely fine quality and durability.

“Amazingly enough, when the tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses II, who died in 1213 BC, was discovered in 1881, his linen wrappings were in a state of perfect preservation” (World Linen). Likewise, the linen curtains in King Tut’s tomb had not warped away a bit. Textile industry was the main promoter of the economy of Egypt during the Islamic period. Tennis and Alexandria provided linen fabrics to the Byzantine Empire. Linen tunics were worn by people of ancient Greece. Summer tunics of ancient Romans were also commonly made of linen.

Linen was largely employed as a clothing staple in the middle ages. Most of the undergarments were made in linen since it was comfortable to wear and felt cool and light to wear. It was also easily washable. Linen was also woven at home for making dresses for women. Flax was brought to Europe, America and India as trade routes expanded. Linen was used in a whole range of ways in the past and is still an extremely stylish and luxurious fabric. Some of the most frequently used types of linen were butchers’ linen, heavy bleached linen and damask.

Today, linen is used for making both ordinary and fashion wear.Countries producing Linen Textile In the contemporary age, France, China, Belgium, and Holland are the four prime producers of the linen textile. They have been named here in order of their production level with France producing the largest amount of linen and Holland producing the least of the four. On a yearly basis, France produced 64000 tons of linen, while China, Belgium and Holland produce 31000 tons, 15300 tons and 4600 tons of linen respectively (“Flax and Linen”).

Egypt has always had and continues to have a great share in the global product of linen textile. Linen textile is also produced in large quantities in India and Pakistan. Linen textile industry of Pakistan is one of the main contributors of GDP in the country. Works Cited:“Flax and Linen.” n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2011. .Gunnsdottir, HL Sine. “A Short History of Linen.” 2007. Web. 16 Aug. 2011. .World Linen. “History of Linen.” 2009. Web. 16 Aug. 2011. .