Prehistoric Textile Art of Eastern United States

A pattern pressed into pottery can preserve evidence of weaving long after the fabric itself has decayed. William Henry Holmes examines these traces alongside remnants collected from ancient mounds in the eastern United States. His study covers basketry, matting, cloth, nets and embroidery, explaining the materials and processes used to make them. Comparisons with the work of later communities help him interpret the objects recovered from archaeological sites.

Much of the account concerns how such fragile material survives. Caves, charring and contact with copper preserve examples, while casts taken from pottery impressions reveal the arrangement of threads. The book also includes descriptions of blanket weaving and the manufacture and use of fishing nets. For readers interested in craft history, its value lies in the close connection between practical techniques and the methods used to recover evidence of them from small remains.