29: Wool & weaving in Mesopotamia, 3500-3000 BCE (Sheep vs Grain)

Guests: Jojo, Sami

First, at the dawn of cosmic time, Sheep and Grain descend from the abode of the gods, get drunk, and start a fight.

Then, after a quick historical introduction, we take a thorough look at the Uruk-period wool industry, from gathering sheep in one place for shearing to spinning thread to weaving (on various types of loom) to dyeing, fulling, sewing, and so on.

Then, we look at some other fibers: flax, being older and more firmly entrenched than wool, remained a valuable fabric well into historical times; nettles, on the other hand, had a slightly shorter tenure as a botanical source of textile fibers.

Then, Sheep and Grain take their dispute to the gods, who declare the obvious winner. Praise be to father Enki!

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