Evidence for textile production in Rabati, Georgia, during the Bedeni phase of the Early Kurgan period

Georgian-Australian excavations in the multi-period settlement site of Rabati, located in southwest Georgia, have produced substantial evidence of textile manufacturing in the Early Kurgan, Bedeni period (2400–2000 BCE). The results of Palynological, Non-Pollen Palynomorph (NPP), Archaeobotanical, bone and fired clay tool analyses presented here have identified fibres of flax and hemp. The presence of cotton is the earliest evidence for this fibre in the region, pointing to trade in the commodity rather than its local cultivation. Also identified were coloured fibres and the possible sources of dye found in the Early Kurgan contexts at the site are discussed. The large number of textile manufacturing implements concentrated in one area of Rabati may indicate that this production was commercial rather than a domestic activity. An active, local textile industry during this period of growing social complexity has significant implications for the development of the emerging elite elements in an increasingly stratified society.