201 Street

I read on my favorite news site about an archaeological dig that took place in England recently. Many items were found including some fragments of rugs that were used all those years ago. Rugs have been around for as long as man has been living in shelters.

Many old manuscripts include information about the craft of weaving. In fact during the middle ages the profession of weaving was held in high esteem by the local community. As long as 4000 years ago the weaving of pile rugs took place in Asia and the Middle East. Fragments of these rugs have been found in ancient tombs.

Ancient tribes that raised sheep and used their wool for clothing seem to be the first group that actively created rugs with a view to bartering them or selling them. Many of these tribes were nomadic and so travelled around selling their rugs to other tribes and in the cities that they visited. Many of these rugs were put to specific use such as bath rugs or used as an indoor outdoor rug. Today the descendents of these tribes still raise sheep and produce some of the world’s finest rugs.