Woven fabric from ... dog fur

Researchers from York University have found the first evidence that people in the Pacific coast of North America used to use dog fur to weave cloth.

According to many oral traditions, the Coast Salish native (native to the Pacific Northwest, northern Washington and southern British Columbia) used to have a special dog with curly, wooly and wool-like, commonly used in the 'textile industry' in the early to mid 19th century.

One of the 'doggy' cloths from the Museum
Indian nation in the United States.

The team analyzed protein components of 11 types of woven fabrics from artifacts including blankets, scarves and fur coats in the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum. of the Indians in America. They were found during expeditions when Americans came to the West Coast as expeditions of Lewis and Clark (1803-1806) or of Wilkes (1838-1842).

Accordingly, they discovered a lot of dog fur in the cloak and six other artifacts, mostly mixed with goat hair. However, no fabrics were made entirely of dog fur, and they were not intended for high-ranking people in the society at that time, the scientists said.

Dr. Solazzo, from the Smithsonian Institution, said: 'We found dog hair in all the textile fabrics produced before 1862, but it gradually disappeared at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.'

"Protein measurement is a very useful new approach to studying hard-to-find artifacts such as cotton, silk, ivory, leather, bones and parchment ," said Professor Matthew Collins. more.