History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c23.s2.t2.1

v1.c23.s2.t2.1

Woollen fabrics have a tradition as old as that of bast fibres in India. Panini refers to the category of woollen garments as *aurna/aurnak*¹⁵. By the opening years of the Christian era not only was sheep's wool differentiated from that of the goat but even in the latter category, a line was drawn between the fibres derived from the domesticated variety and its wild counterpart (Varadarajan, 1984). The properties of wool had a bearing on its usage as a fibre. Wool is elastic and its fibres have a rough surface. This is caused by an external layer of microscopic overlapping scales. Wool can absorb 30% of its own weight as moisture, and when wet it generates heat. It can be stretched 30% beyond its normal dimension and still spring back to its original configuration when released. It is wrinkle resistant and has high powers of insulation. It is for this reason that desert dwellers wear wool to keep the heat out (Brown, p.213). These properties explain why wool was accorded a high ritual status in early texts.