Mummy's Wrap

There was no single way to build a basket. While one technique may have been more favorable than another, many techniques were used throughout the history of ancient Egypt. There are eight basketry methods known to have been used in ancient Egypt: coiling, weaving, twining, plaiting, sewn plaits technique, looping, piercing, and binding (Wendrich, 2000; 256).

Coiling (fig. a) is above all the most abundant of the methods used, using a core material, otherwise known as the passive element of the basket, wrapped with a different material, known as the active element, coiled one row upon another (Wendrich, 2000; 256). Weaving (fig. b) consists of numerous passive elements with an active element being strung between the passive elements (Wendrich, 2000; 256). Twining (fig. c) uses the same method as weaving, but there are two active components being twisted between each passive element (Wendrich, 2000; 256). Plaiting (fig. d), or continuous plaiting, is made up of entirely active elements and involves braiding materials to make baskets, mats, or bags (Wendrich, 2000; 256). The sewn plait technique (fig. e) is related to plaiting, but instead of one continuously active technique, the sewn plait technique uses a number of small plaited strands, which are sewn together after they are produced (Wendrich, 2000; 256). Looping (fig. f, g) is, again, a continuously active technique, using knotless netting, where one loop is looped through another making bags, nets, or mats (Wendrich, 2000; 256). Piercing (fig. h) deals with rigid materials in which are bored holes allowing another rigid or even a supple element to pass through (Wendrich, 2000; 256). Binding (fig. i) takes a number of passive elements and joins them with an active element (Wendrich, 2000; 256). These systems are often used separately, but can be combined with each other to produce one object, though, through the following study, this appears only rarely. For the purpose of this paper, the focus will remain on coiled basketry, as that is the most common of the basketry types, and thus lends ease to the ultimate study of the evolution of basketry through ancient Egypt’s history.

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That's a Wrap!

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This entry was posted by Page Strong on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 at 09:30 and is filed under Ancient Egypt, Archaeology, Basketry, Egyptology, Every Day Life, Everyday Life, Science/Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.