ИСТИНА

The paper is focused on the textile material from the grave 213 of the Deir al-Banat necropolis (Fayoum) that have been excavated by the Center of Egyptological Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In the paper, which was delivered in the previous “Textile of the Nile Valey” conference we have observed the so-called coarse funeral shrouds or wrappings from the same grave. Here we are going to discuss the rest of the material, including the tunics, pillow-cases, towel/srarf and an enigmatic x-item that was placed under the pillow of the deceased. This object is a narrow strip of 2 meters wide and 20 centimeters long. It is unfinished piece with the short weaved part and long ends. We consider the item as a fragment of the cloth taken from the loom. Its starting edge is well-preserved as far as the thread dividing even and uneven ends, the heddles and the thread enforcing the ends from the finishing edge. Other textile finds made during 2014 season of archaeological work at the necropolis, can throw the light on the enigmatic x-item. In another grave a similar fragment was discovered, but it had a prominent weaved part. We suggest that the latter object is a tunic. Among the newly made finds are also numerous linen yarns prepared for weaving. All those new finds as far as the other textile objects let us suggest the existing of a special branch of textile production at that area in the Late Antique times.