Site Qasr Ibrim Context QI00 22028 Excavation year 2000

Dimensions L. 255 mm W. 800 mm Preservation state organic Relative quality fine Fabric structure tabby

Colours Blue supplementary yarn. Other features Systems 1 and 2 same or similar yarns.

Description Very slight traces of external blue piping on edge of hem. Almost all vanished. Traces of stitch-holes some of the way along, with blue yarn stubs in them. Inner piping cord better preserved. On back of fabric, 2 lines of running stitches visible. The innermost, most prominent and straightest, is the line of 3 ply thread, which secures the blue piping on the other side of the fabric. The blue from the piping comes through the fabric and over the 3 ply cord. The line of slightly Z-set stitches is the sewing thread from the hem and nearest the outer edge of the hem. The blue anchoring stitches are at approximately 5mm intervals. Piping thread consists of 4 pairs of 2 blue S spun yarns. How the blue cords are secured by or around the 3 ply undyed cord on then other side of the fabric is not clear despite extensive analysis. It appears to be irregular (see drawing). The only securing yarns are the blue ones in the cord which clasp/are clasped by the undyed 3 ply cord on the back. There is no extra dedicated sewing thread. This throws in doubt all previous analyses which claim regularity and/or an extra sewing thread (but see 1029 below). Structural ✓ Decorative ✓ Types of stitch running stitch Sewing yarn structure plied