an enzyme for silk restoration is a boon for female archaeology

a new method for restoring ancient silk fabrics!

sorry - that's false advertising. it's new to me!!!

an enzymatic process has been found that allows ancient silk textiles to be restored 

without damaging the fibers.

this is great news for researchers of ancient women's work!

The prehistory of textiles: Paleolithic

I have become seriously obsessed. I get these packages once a month or so. They're covered in cloth that has been stitched and sealed with wax, wild stamps, and lots of confusing lettering. I have to rip the cloth open to get inside, which always seems a shame to me. But I get over the guilt when the smell of the sari or ikat or suzani wafts out of the package. It smells like a mysterious far-away closet. When I pull the fabric out and it floats open in front of me in all its magnificence, sometimes I actually get tears in my eyes. The dogs think I'm crazy.