Babylonian Costumes

Costumes of PreHistory through Phoenician times As seen through a Social and Economic lens

Compiled 2012 by Nathan Wichman for Costume Construction

Brief history of major events

• ~8000 BCE-- Agricultural Revolution • ~3100 BCE--Beginning of the City-State • ~2350-2000 BCE-- Sumerian Empire • 1792-1750 BCE-- Hammurabi • ~1200 BCE-- Sea Peoples, switch to iron

• 1100-900 BCE--Phoenicians

Nomads (Pre 8000 BCE) • Probably only wore animal skins • Only clothing was a simple skirt for everyone, except where environments were too extreme

Agricultural Revolution

• Began around 8000 BCE • Started settling areas permanently and domesticating animals and plants

• Flax and Cotton probably discovered shortly after settling

• Wool probably found quickly in areas with wooly animals

City-States • As people concentrated into larger towns clothing probably became more important

• As the towns got larger and the hierarchy got more defined clothing and accessories became symbols of status

• Development of writing, change from pre-history to history.

• • • •

Standard of Ur, Dated 2600 BCE. This side depicts a scene of prosperity, the king and his friends are banqueting with entertainment of singing and lyre A procession of men is bringing animals and other goods somewhere everyone is wearing a skirt except for some in the bottom panel possibly

Jewelry • Jewelry probably were religious items in pre-City-State times

• Consisted of clay and glass beads plus pretty stones before the Phoenicians brought more exotic gems from overseas

Sumerian Empire • First empire of the Western World • During this time the Priestess of An and Nana, Gods of Heaven and the Moon respectively, were sometimes the only legitimating link between one dynasty and the next. (Ancient World, P.9)

• During the duration of the empire several nomadic groups from farther north moved into the area, creating rapidly changing cultures

Hamurabi (1792-1750 BCE) • First person to instate a cohesive code of laws in multiple cities

• Gave women a firm legal standing within the laws

Phoenician influence

• Came from the eastern coast of the

Mediterranean, north of Israel, with few natural resources

• First western people to conquer the seas • started trading as far west as spain by 950 BCE

• Trade goods included: Purple Dye, imported cloth, ivory, ebony, gold, silver, ornaments, furniture, jewelry, wine, olive oil, and later glass and silk

Dated around 880 BCE, depicts two gods anointing the tree of life

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Cover of sun god tablet, dated 850 and 610 BCE, from indentations we can see a use of robes and large conical headgear

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Assyrian dated 640 BCE, there is a line on the arm that could easily be construed as the ending of a sleeve on each man

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Assyrian, dated 640 BCE, In this scene we see several classes of people, some probably slaves going before the king or general, note the simple robes worn by lower class and usual robes worn by warriors

References • The Ancient World,

A Social and Cultural History By D. Brendan Nagle, Print book

• http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/classes/e con355/choi/bab.htm

• Encyclopedia Britannica online :http://eb.tbicl.org/costume/