X-ray microscopy reveals the outstanding craftsmanship of Siberian Iron Age textile dyers

The excellent craftsmanship of ancient Oriental and Central Asian textile dyers is already demonstrated in the remarkable brilliance and fastness of the colours of the so-called Pazyryk carpet, the by far oldest pile carpet found to date. This specimen resembles the advanced craftsmanship of Iron Age Central Asian textile production. We have employed synchrotron-based µ -XRF imaging to detect the distribution of metal organic pigments within...