| . | Ancient Egyptian Leather |
Viking leather and Furs |
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| Use |
Leather was not of major importance in Egypt's hot climate
It was used in rarely worn footwear, and smaller items like garments and containers
Leather rolls were at times used instead of papyrus as writing material
Animal skin was used in making some musical instruments such as tambourines.
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In order to survive the harsh winters, vikings processed the fur and skin of the animals they hunted into cloaks and boots
Since Vikings did not have pockets, they used leather pouches on their belts
As leather obtained from wild animals was very strong and compact, it was widely used for creating body armor,hemlets, saddles, hunting accessories and even weapons, such as slings and bows
Water-resistant leather was used for creating roofs, tent coverings or recipients and containers such as bottles or buckets. The Vikings even covered their boats in leather.
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| Manufacture process |
Early leather in Egypt was primitive in technology, since it was not water resistant
True Leather was only produced in the Ptolemaic Period
Skin was depilated with urine and salt which also functioned as a preservative
vegetable tanning was applied to prevent decay and to impart flexibility and toughness.
Chamois leather was treated with fat, while an extract from acacia pods was used for tanning ordinary leather
Application of mineral earth to the leather - preservation of skin in Egypt's hot climate
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The skins were thoroughly washed and soaked in water for the removal of blood and the cleaning of the outer surface
It was then immersed in a potent mixture of lime and water to loosen the hair which could then be scraped away
The process of fleshing then took place; fat from the underside of the skin was scraped away with a knife
A second washing process was undertaken to remove any traces of lime
The actual tanning process involved the laying of the skins in a pit containing vegetable liquor.
The skins were removed from the tanning pit, coated in oil and hung to dry
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| Raw materias |
Sheep and goats were the most popular skin used in Egypt
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Leather was obtained from the skin of Gotlandic sheep, cattle, pigs and wisents
Fur was obtained from reindeers, caribou, polar bears, foxes and wolves
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| Trade |
Leather was not an important merchandise, and no trade activity was recorded
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Fur trading with the rest of Europe was a very important boomming activity in the Middle Ages
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