Die Textilien aus Palmyra

The ancient city of Palmyra was, for a number of centuries, an important trading center for materials transported across the Silk Road to and from many points in Asia and the Middle East. Much of our current understanding of silk in antiquity comes from the study of material from Palmyra. This book on Palmyra textiles picks up from earlier scholarship, seeking to identify the origin of these silks and to expand their cultural context. One chapter looks at the Chinese inscriptions on the silks.  Another describes the techniques and possible dyes used in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. There is a discussion of the important technological development behind the metallic threads found in some of the textiles of Palmyra. This is a study of the long-distance transport of luxury goods from Asia to the Middle East and the Roman Empire. Better understanding of the origin of these silks will help scholars identify and appreciate the cultural and social information that the textiles hold.