Silk Road discovery: the world's oldest pants.
M. WAGNER ET AL/ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ASIA 2022
Dr. Frachetti provides insights on the discovery of the world’s oldest pants in a Science News article.
The Science News article details the discovery of the naturally mummified body of a man who lived 3,000 years ago 43 kilometers southeast of the Chinese city of Turfan in the Tarim Basin. The “Turfan man” was found to be wearing high-quality woven riding pants with patterns and designs that display ingenuity and the spread of cultural influence across Asia.
M. WAGNER ET AL/ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ASIA 2022
The pants feature diagonal twill weaving designs, which were also observed in pottery from Western Siberia and Kazakstan — suggesting these horse riders ventured far from home.
“It’s no surprise that cultural influences from throughout Asia affected ancient people in the Tarim Basin. The Yanghai pants are an entry point for examining how the Silk Road transformed the world.”