The oldest piece of textile

14 March 2011 11:57 am Views - 7401

The Archeology Department today said that tests recently conducted on a piece of silk found in Kota Vehera, Rambukkana in Kegalle indicated that the silk is 2200 years old and is the oldest piece of textile found in Sri Lanka to this date.

Archeology Department Director General, Senarath Dissanayake told the Daily Mirror that the piece of silk, found during an excavation in 2001 belonged to the 2nd century BC and is 2cm x 2cm in length and width. “It is difficult to identify the original colour of the silk as it is in a decayed state,” Dissanayake said.

“The piece of silk was found along with a miniature replica of a stupa, five stone caskets and a quartz replica of a stupa,” he said. He said previous findings of silk material have been from the Kandyan period.

He said the silk was found by an Australian Scholar from the Australian National University, Judith Cameron who had conducted tests on a sample of the silk the results of which were recently received by the Archeology Department. (Olindhi Jayasundere)