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Wednesday, 2 April 2014

The History Of Carpet

By Suzanne Herrman


Carpeting has been around for thousands of years, and the word carpet is a derivation of the Italian verb carpire, which means to pluck. It might just seem like a covering for flooring, but carpets and rugs also are considered great works of art requiring the skills of great artisans. Here are a few fun facts about the history of carpet.

Many nations have a rich history of weaving carpets, and archaeologists believe that carpeting probably has been being created since the 7th millennium BC. Among the nations that are known for their carpet weaving are Armenia, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, France, Pakistan, Indian, Iran, Turkey, China and areas within Scandinavia.

While the art of carpet making has been around for thousands of years, the oldest carpet ever discovered, the Pazyryk carpet, is probably about 2,500 years old. A prominent Russian anthropologist discovered the carpet in a Scythian burial tomb in Siberia, and it eventually was placed in a St. Petersburg, Russia museum where it still is on display today. The carpet is not just a rug but a historical record, documenting the history of the Scythian people, who lived in Siberia as well as throughout central Eurasia. Many other ancient carpets also depict historical themes or tell stories of battles, gods and other relevant history.

The historic Pazyryk carpet is certainly quite old, but it is by no means the only notable carpet or carpet type. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named several types of carpet as a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage. This includes the Shiraz carpet developed and crafted in Persia, as well as the tradition of rug making in Azerbaijan. Both of these styles of rug making are quite distinctive forms of art and a tradition that continues today.

Carpet making might not be as ancient in the United States, but it has still been in constant production for more than two centuries. The first carpet mill for woven carpet was opened in Pennsylvania around 1790. Many other mills opened throughout the 19th century and the industry grew exponentially. Prior to the early 1900s, carpet cleaning was a fairly arduous task, using brushes and dust pans to aid the task. The first true vacuum cleaner was invented around 1905 and as time progressed, these machines have seen many improvements. Chemicals to clean carpeting were developed by chemists in the mid-20th century, and professional types of carpet cleaning machines also were created around this time.

Today, carpet cleaning is an important industry as most American homes have carpeting and rugs. The EPA recommends that anyone with carpet have this flooring professionally cleaned every six months to remove the dust and toxins that build up over time. If it's been a while since your last professional carpet cleaning service, contact your Baton Rouge carpet cleaners or perhaps a Denham Springs carpet cleaning service or Prairieville carpet cleaning service.




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