08-22-2016, 07:15 AM
Memory being what it is I finally discovered a reference in my files for linen and cotton sails from Roman Berenike which led to the following:
"Sails The physical evidence for sails in the archaeological record of the ancient world is very limited. Archaeological evidence comes mainly from Egypt and the Red Sea, fragments of sails having also been found at the Roman Red-Seaport of Berenike (Wild and Wild, 2001) and a fragment wrapped around a mummy at Edfu on the Nile (Rougé, 1987; Black, 1996). The sail cloth from Edfu was made from Egyptian-produced linen reinforced with locally-produced flax (Wild and Wild, 2001: 213; Wild, 2002: 13).The use of linen is consistent with the existing evidence, mostly textual, which points to linen being widely used for sails in the ancient Mediterranean (Black and Samuel, 1991: 220).This is in contrast to the sail cloth from Berenike which was made and reinforced from Indian-produced cotton (Wild and Wild, 2001: 211–20).Like those at Berenike, the sail cloth and reinforcement webbing strips excavated at Myos Hormos are also made of Indian-produced cotton (Handley, 2003: 57)."
https://www.academia.edu/490285/Roman_ri...yos_Hormos
Early Indian cotton textiles from Berenike:
https://www.academia.edu/11741339/Early_...8_229-233_
"Sails The physical evidence for sails in the archaeological record of the ancient world is very limited. Archaeological evidence comes mainly from Egypt and the Red Sea, fragments of sails having also been found at the Roman Red-Seaport of Berenike (Wild and Wild, 2001) and a fragment wrapped around a mummy at Edfu on the Nile (Rougé, 1987; Black, 1996). The sail cloth from Edfu was made from Egyptian-produced linen reinforced with locally-produced flax (Wild and Wild, 2001: 213; Wild, 2002: 13).The use of linen is consistent with the existing evidence, mostly textual, which points to linen being widely used for sails in the ancient Mediterranean (Black and Samuel, 1991: 220).This is in contrast to the sail cloth from Berenike which was made and reinforced from Indian-produced cotton (Wild and Wild, 2001: 211–20).Like those at Berenike, the sail cloth and reinforcement webbing strips excavated at Myos Hormos are also made of Indian-produced cotton (Handley, 2003: 57)."
https://www.academia.edu/490285/Roman_ri...yos_Hormos
Early Indian cotton textiles from Berenike:
https://www.academia.edu/11741339/Early_...8_229-233_
Ivor
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
