Olive Oil Culture History V - Textile Production
16-04-2025
10:41
Photograph; Detail from the Wall Painting from the Tomb of Rekhmire, Rekhmire and His Mother Receiving Offerings, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (c. 1479–1425 BC, reign of Thutmose III – early years of Amenhotep II), version colored in egg tempera (antique watercolor) on paper by the artist Charles K. Wilkinson, 1928, source .
The use of plant-based oils, such as olive oil, to enhance the shine, soften and preserve the colour of fabrics dates back to ancient civilisations, particularly in the Mediterranean region. The earliest known archaeological and documented evidence is from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Although direct archaeological evidence detailing the use of oil-based solvents is limited, it is understood that oil was used, particularly in the processing of linen fabric.
The use of plant-based oils, such as olive oil, to enhance the shine, soften and preserve the colour of fabrics dates back to ancient civilisations, particularly in the Mediterranean region. The earliest known archaeological and documented evidence is from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Although direct archaeological evidence detailing the use of oil-based solvents is limited, it is understood that oil was used, particularly in the processing of linen fabric.
Mesopotamia (3000 BC)
The Sumerians and later the Assyrians used vegetable oils to waterproof and preserve textiles, especially woolen garments.
The Sumerians and later the Assyrians used vegetable oils to waterproof and preserve textiles, especially woolen garments.
Cuneiform tablets from the period mention the use of vegetable oils - probably olive or sesame - in textile care and protection.
Ancient Egypt (2500 BC)
Linen was the primary fabric used by the ancient Egyptians, with historical records indicating the use of olive oil and castor oil to enhance the shine of their linen.
Wall paintings found in the tomb of Rekhmire (c. 15th century BC) and the weaving overseer Nefererenpet, "Chief of the Weavers of the Two Lands", contain detailed depictions of the textile production process, including treatments with oil and wax.
Egyptian mummies were often wrapped in linen, which was treated with oils and resins.
The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC), an ancient Egyptian medical text, contains references to the use of oils in textile processing, including their role in maintaining softness and shine.
Ancient Egypt (2500 BC)
Linen was the primary fabric used by the ancient Egyptians, with historical records indicating the use of olive oil and castor oil to enhance the shine of their linen.
Wall paintings found in the tomb of Rekhmire (c. 15th century BC) and the weaving overseer Nefererenpet, "Chief of the Weavers of the Two Lands", contain detailed depictions of the textile production process, including treatments with oil and wax.
Egyptian mummies were often wrapped in linen, which was treated with oils and resins.
The Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC), an ancient Egyptian medical text, contains references to the use of oils in textile processing, including their role in maintaining softness and shine.
Ancient Greece and Rome (500 BC - 100 AD)
In Rome, Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) mentioned the use of olive oil to preserve the quality of textiles in his Naturalis Historia.
Roman togas and other garments were sometimes treated with olive oil or lanolin (oil derived from animal wool) to improve their appearance and reduce wear. The toga was the most characteristic woolen garment of ancient Rome, usually consisting of a loose-fitting shirt wrapped around the body in a specific manner, about six metres long. The undershirt was usually made of linen. Usually worn by men, the toga was forbidden to be worn by non-Roman citizens.
Starting in the second half of the 1700s, olive oil, which had been deliberately exposed to heat and light and "spoiled", began to be used in the dye industry. In those years, olive oil was an important export product of the Ottoman Empire to Europe through French merchants. Dye manufacturers began using olive oil - a technology that was clearly imported from the Ottoman world - in the production of the dye called Turkish Red or Edirne Red [macro dye]. The raw material of the color is the root of the rubia plant, and the dyeing process is laborious and long; it is a complex process that requires the fabrics to be washed in lye with olive oil, sheep manure and other ingredients multiple times, taking up to forty hours. In the 1700s, olive oil was used in the processing of wool used for the imitation 'Tunisian bonnet' (fez), which was produced in different countries of Europe and exported to Ottoman lands. By the end of the century, after this market had gradually diminished, bonnets similar to fez became popular among workers in southern France.
China and India (1000 BC - 500 BC)
In early Chinese silk production, oils such as tung oil (a pale yellow, strong-smelling oil obtained from the seeds of the tung tree) and vegetable waxes were sometimes applied to the silk to preserve its luster. Tung oil, like olive oil, was the lighting fuel of ancient Eastern peoples.
In ancient India, Ayurvedic texts describe the use of plant-based oils for textile care, particularly in dyeing and softening fabrics.
Compiled by: Uğur Saraçoğlu, Physician, Olive and Olive Oil Producer (ugisaracoglu@yahoo.com.tr)
Source:
1. https://postej-stew.dk/2019/05/medieval-fabrics-part-2/ .
In Rome, Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) mentioned the use of olive oil to preserve the quality of textiles in his Naturalis Historia.
Roman togas and other garments were sometimes treated with olive oil or lanolin (oil derived from animal wool) to improve their appearance and reduce wear. The toga was the most characteristic woolen garment of ancient Rome, usually consisting of a loose-fitting shirt wrapped around the body in a specific manner, about six metres long. The undershirt was usually made of linen. Usually worn by men, the toga was forbidden to be worn by non-Roman citizens.
Starting in the second half of the 1700s, olive oil, which had been deliberately exposed to heat and light and "spoiled", began to be used in the dye industry. In those years, olive oil was an important export product of the Ottoman Empire to Europe through French merchants. Dye manufacturers began using olive oil - a technology that was clearly imported from the Ottoman world - in the production of the dye called Turkish Red or Edirne Red [macro dye]. The raw material of the color is the root of the rubia plant, and the dyeing process is laborious and long; it is a complex process that requires the fabrics to be washed in lye with olive oil, sheep manure and other ingredients multiple times, taking up to forty hours. In the 1700s, olive oil was used in the processing of wool used for the imitation 'Tunisian bonnet' (fez), which was produced in different countries of Europe and exported to Ottoman lands. By the end of the century, after this market had gradually diminished, bonnets similar to fez became popular among workers in southern France.
China and India (1000 BC - 500 BC)
In early Chinese silk production, oils such as tung oil (a pale yellow, strong-smelling oil obtained from the seeds of the tung tree) and vegetable waxes were sometimes applied to the silk to preserve its luster. Tung oil, like olive oil, was the lighting fuel of ancient Eastern peoples.
In ancient India, Ayurvedic texts describe the use of plant-based oils for textile care, particularly in dyeing and softening fabrics.
Compiled by: Uğur Saraçoğlu, Physician, Olive and Olive Oil Producer (ugisaracoglu@yahoo.com.tr)
Source:
1. https://postej-stew.dk/2019/05/medieval-fabrics-part-2/ .
6. Olive’s Journey in the Mediterranean; Conference Proceedings, Dr. Alp Yücel Kaya, Ertekin Akpınar, 2016