Tablet weaving: earliest finds

An incredibly persistent theory is that the earliest finds related to tablet weaving date back to Ancient Egypt. Despite the fact that the hypotheses supporting this theory have long been proven to be wrong, many sources continue to assert, for example, that the oldest example of weaving is the belt of Ramses III. And the name of the technique, “Egyptian diagonals,” will surely remain unchanged for quite a long time.

However, as early as the 1970s, it was proven that Ramses’ belt could not have been woven using tablets, as creating such a structure is impossible with tablet weaving (Collingwood dedicates a section of his book to the belt and the evidence regarding its recreation). Similarly, it has been proven that the fragments that gave the diagonal technique its name could not have been tabletwoven.

According to current data, the oldest fragment attributed to tablet weaving dates to the 8th century BCE and was found in Italy in the area of Sasso di Furbara. It is worth noting that most of the early tablet-woven fragments are the starting edges of fabric. The earliest examples of decorative bands are finds from Hallstatt (Austria, dating from 800 to 400 BCE) and Hochdorf (southern Germany, dating approximately to 475 CE).

Here are some references to materials that, among other things, discuss the finds from Hochdorf:

• Tablet Weaving by Lise Ræder Knudsen;
• Two-hole Tablet Weaving;
• Intermediate Tablet Weaving: Figured Double-Face Weave.

The oldest weaving tablets were found in El Cigarralejo, Spain, and are dated to 4th century BCE.