The Pazyryc Carpet

The Pazyryc Carpet

Until recently, people used to believed that the art of carpet weaving comes from the coast of the Nile River in Egypt. However, one outstanding finding in 1949 refuted this belief. During an archeological discovery in the Pazyryc icy area on the Mongolian border, Professor Rodenco found an ancient carpet by chance which was dated back to 500 BCE. Although While there are still some debates about the origin of this carpet, the patterns on it, including horse-riders, winged creatures and spotted deer, suggest its actual origin. Researchers believe that the images of spotted deer, which were only found on the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea, and the horse-rider, similar to what was seen later in Achaemenid inscriptions, prove that the carpet was made by Iranian craftsmen thousands of years ago. The carpet is named Pazyryc, however, since it was discovered in the Pazyryc area. The oldest known surviving carpet in the world is now exhibited in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petesrburg, Russia.

Any corrections and comments are most welcome. Thanks,
Amene

P.S. The image in the left side is the Pazyryc Carpet, and the right side image shows its details.