One study found a sewing needle made of animal bone in a French cave, and a worked bone assemblage found in a Moroccan cave suggests that clothing was a part of human life long before the last Ice Age. It also helped humans to survive in harsher climates.
During the early Mesopotamian civilization, known as Sumer, men wore small loincloths with waist strings. Women wore dresses that were sewn with fringe.
By the fourth millennium BCE, Mesopotamia was a major textile producer. The main fiber used for Mesopotamian clothing was wool.
Linen was also used, but it was more rare than wool. In fact, linen was only used by rich Mesopotamians.
Flowers were important in Mesopotamia, and there were a number of different fruits and vegetables. Mesopotamians also used gold.
They used beadwork and crowns to show their status and style. Some Mesopotamians even used umbrellas, which were an important symbol of status.
Mesopotamian cities were located on strategic sites. They were protected by elite troops and had various kinds of public buildings, including royal palaces and workshops.
These cities tended to be small, with a population of 20,000 to 30,000 people. The houses were usually small, with mud bricks or reeds plastered with clay.
The cities of ancient Mesopotamia also had royal palaces and workshops. These were surrounded by fields of grain and herds of goats and sheep.
Clothing in the early Mesopotamian civilization was more colorful than in Egypt. They were built on artificial mounds to protect them from flood waters. There were also rooms for musical education.
Men and women wore headdresses, and crowns and tassels were used as accessories. They also wore rings and bracelets.
During the early Mesopotamian era, people wore animal furs. They also used sticks for different purposes. By the end of the third millennium BC, two types of fabric were available. Wool was used by rich Mesopotamians, and linen by the middle class.
The earliest evidence of cotton in Mesopotamia is a stone tablet written by Assyrian king Sennacherib. The tablet commemorated the restoration of the Samas cult. The Assyrian word for cotton is periphrasis, which means “trees bearing wool.” However, it is not known if the word is an actual translation of cotton.