A tartan spotted in the 1980s at a peat bog in Glen Affric, which is a part of the Scottish Highlands filled with moorland, lakes, and wood, is now considered the oldest known tartan piece in Scotland.
What Are Tartans?
According to Live Science, tartans are specific textile types that consist of woven wool yarn that form a pattern of vertical and horizontal bands crossing each other. The parts where the color bands cross with each other form the textile's hallmark slanting lines. The blocks of color then repeat to create a pattern of squares and lines.
Ever since the 1900s various tartan patterns have been linked to different clans across Scotland.
Oldest Known Tartan Piece in Scotland
As per the BBC, this tartan piece is thought to have been crafted during the 1600s, which makes it over 400 years old and the oldest known tartan piece in Scotland.
For the first time, scientists examined the archaeological gem through radiocarbon testing and dye analysis. It was by doing so that they were able to tell the old piece's age.
The old tartan piece now has a faded hue. Scientists used high resolution digital microscopy to find out that the piece used to have brown, green, and potentially yellow and red hues on it.
Dye analysis further confirmed that there may have been indigo in the green. However, findings regarding other hues were inconclusive due to the degradation of the dyestuff.
Considering how there were no synthetic or artificial dyes used to make the tartan piece, researchers believed that it dated before the 1750s. Experts think that it may have been used as a working garment for outdoor activities and that royalty would not have worn it.
Through these analyses, the researchers were able to date the piece somewhere between 1500 and 1655, with the time from 1500 to 1600 being the most likely date.
NBC News reports that John McLeish, who serves as the chair of the Scottish Tartans Authority (STA), says that no other tartan piece is known to date back to this period. Hence, the tartan piece is a great discovery and must be preserved and be an object of national focus.
How Was the Tartan Piece Kept Preserved?
As mentioned earlier, the piece was found in a peat bog around 19 miles west of Loch Ness. Such a wetland area is covered by dead plants. This mix results in low oxygen levels and high acidity levels that can keep organic material preserved for millennia.
In fact, peat bogs across Britain and Ireland are known to preserve butter, wood, and even the bodies of humans.
Peter MacDonald, who headed the collections and research at the STA, says that this tartan piece was buried inside the peat. Because it was buried, it was not exposed to air. This, in turn, kept it preserved.
RELATED ARTICLE: New Pompeii Discovery: Archaeologists Find Ancient House That Offers a Glimpse of Middle-Class Life
Check out more news and information on Archaeology in Science Times.
