The use of local fibres for textiles at Neolithic Çatalhöyük

A groundbreaking analysis of textiles from the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük, using scanning electron microscopy, reveals that the fibres used were primarily locally sourced oak bast, not flax as previously thought. This challenges the long-held assumption about the use of domesticated flax for early textile production and suggests a greater reliance on tree bast during this period. The findings are supported by the near absence of flax seeds at the site, indicating that there was no need for importing fibres from elsewhere. This research reshapes our understanding of early textile production in the Near East and Europe.

Rast-Eicher, A., Karg, S., & Bender Jørgensen, L. (2021). The use of local fibres for textiles at Neolithic Çatalhöyük. Antiquity, 95(383), 1129–1144. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.89