🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
The Greek historian Herodotus later described India as a land where trees bore wool, likely referencing cotton.
Archaeological findings from sites such as Mohenjo-daro and Harappa indicate cotton cultivation and textile production during the 3rd millennium BCE. Impressions of woven cotton fabric have been found on clay artifacts. The Indus region’s climate supported cotton agriculture, unlike Egypt’s early reliance on linen. Cotton fibers likely formed part of trade goods exported to Mesopotamia. Textile production requires coordinated spinning, weaving, and dyeing processes. Craft specialization extended into garment manufacture. Cotton’s durability and adaptability enhanced trade value. Agricultural innovation supported economic diversity. The Indus economy integrated fiber production into urban systems.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Cotton cultivation illustrates adaptation to regional environmental conditions. Textile exports strengthened foreign trade relationships. Specialized production implies labor organization and skill transmission. Economic diversification reduces vulnerability to crop failure. Trade in finished goods increases value beyond raw materials. Industrial craft integrated with agricultural output. Fiber became economic leverage.
For weavers working looms in Indus settlements, fabric production merged daily labor with global exchange. The irony lies in how a material now ubiquitous worldwide traces part of its early history to these cities. Cotton connected climate to commerce. Thread carried influence across oceans.
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