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Leather production in Ancient Egypt
Leather production is a long and complicated process. Not all steps of ancient
Egyptian leather production are known. A short summary of modern leather production
is given for comparison.
modern | Ancient Egypt |
slaughtering an animal
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soften - the skins are cleaned in water
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chalk and other chemicals are added to the water -
the hairs disappear
|
skin was depilated with urine and ash, or with pastes
of flour mixed with salt, which also functioned as preservatives
|
smoking the skin in connection with fat/brain application
(not attested but assumed on ethnographic parallels)
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last remains of flesh and fat are removed in a machine
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staning - the skin is treated with chemicals
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skin was dipped into fats or oil - oil curing |
tanning - the skin fuses with the chemicals - the
skin becomes leather
|
alum tawing (mineral tannage) - alum mixed with salt and fats - not securely attested in Ancient Egypt, but used in the Roman period |
vegetable tanning - vegetable tanning consists of
stringing hides on large frames,and exposing them to tannin, a natural
product found in the several plants.
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water is pressed out
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clinching - the leather is brought to a consistent
strength
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neutralisation of the chemicals, fat is added to soften
the leather
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application of mineral earth to the skin - preservation
of skin in a hot climate
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drying
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the leather is smoothed for a last time
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further reading:
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