Text Hist: Early Sumeria and Egypt

3500-2500 BC: 

• Early Sumerian men and women wore wrapped skirts, called kaunakes, made with tufted fleece, which they held in place with wide belts. At first skirts were probably made from sheepskin with fleece attached. Later, woven cloth had fringe at the bottom to imitate tufts of wool on fleece.

The Egyptian civilization 

• Old Kingdom: 2620 – 2260 BC

• Middle Kingdom: c. 2134 -1786 BC

• New Kingdom: 1575 -1087 BC

• grew up along the Nile River- would flood once a year, trenches were created that provided water a way to flow towards their villages

• Tunics were worn by men and women

• Textiles and other art forms have been preserved due to the dry climate and storage in tombs

• Most garments were woven from linen- flax to create linen would grow after the Nile flooded and then it was harvested by them, they believed that it was a god-given resource 

• Mensware-

  •  Aprons were worn over a skirt or other garment, or over a loincloth and under a skirt. 

  • Skenti- a skirt wrapped of tied below the waistline, large triangular decorative panels are located at the front of some 

• Women's fashion-

  • wore a tight-fitting colorful dress, often called a sheath dress

    • research suggests this was a wrapped garment with a beaded, net dress worn over it.

• Kalasiris- sheer tunic/robe wrapped or tied

  • Women started wearing just sheer kalasiris tops with no sheath underneath, originally worn by adult entertainers but picked up by royal women and made mainstream 

• pectoral- collar worn by slaves and royalty alike, representing an Egyptian’s faith, made of metal and stones in patterns

• When the upper and lower kingdoms combined, a crown representing both was created- pschent

• Girdle- tied decorative sash to secure robes and skirts

• Many Egyptians had shaved heads to stay clean and cool; men were clean-shaven, upper class Egyptians wore wigs

• Upper body coverings included real or simulated animal skins, thought to convey the power of the animal to the wearer

  • Cats, scarabs, snakes, falcons, etc. 

• The vulture was an important image to them due to its proximity to death (ie divinity) and its closeness to the sun and creator god Ra, see example of vulture crown

• Necklaces and jewelry worn by men and women with various animal and other symbols and adornments

• Beards were a symbol of power, and both male and female pharaohs wore a small false beard."

• Make-up served both cosmetic and health purposes. The eyeliner was called Kohl- made of petroleum and lead

• A variety of sandals were worn