Surprising find: carpet that retains its color

Very often, the younger generation hears from older people that earlier the products were of better quality, the technology was more reliable, and the milk tastes better when compared with modern counterparts. This is partly true: today we get far from what our mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers once received.

True, in some cases such claims could be argued, since they are of a philistine nature. Whatever one may say, but from the point of view of all checks and tests, the same ice cream or sour cream meets all standards and sanitary requirements. However, there are things that once again confirm the fact that in ancient times some household items were really better. Take, for example, the ancient Altai carpet, which was found in the late 40s and surprisingly retained its color. But at that time, according to archaeologists, he "turned" about 2500 years old.

What a miracle find

An amazing carpet was discovered in a frozen burial mound. And the most interesting thing is in the grave. However, this also influenced its safety. Due to the low temperature, the pile was protected from insects that could significantly harm the material, and the closed room did not allow the scorching rays of the sun to burn out the color of the product.

Experts have determined the "age" of the carpet - it was made around the 11th century BC. Also, archaeologists doubt that they used it at home. Most likely, it was a delightful luxury item, because only members of the tribal nobility could afford such wealth.

All these circumstances do not negate the fact that the carpet surprisingly retained its shade - the paint turned out to be very resistant. It feels like these 2500 years have not existed - rich color, accuracy of drawings, amazing ornament, beauty of symmetry - all this has been preserved, as if nothing had happened.

How did it happen?

According to scientists, such carpets were produced in a very peculiar way. Before dyeing the canvas, the ancient people dipped wool in a special leaven, which was prepared on the basis of wheat bran. This is where the secret lies: the Geotrichum candidum fungus made the material more delicate and vulnerable to staining, which allowed the paint to penetrate into the deepest layers, absolutely into all fibers.

However, there is a small nuance in this story: if the person who was engaged in the manufacture of the carpet did not had a strong immunity, then from contact with this fungus he could not only get sick, but completely perish. Hence the conclusion that such a unique property of the carpet could have cost someone's life (and it's good if only one).