Sandweiss comments on oldest indigo-dyed fabric in Science News article
UMaine archaeologist Daniel Sandweiss, professor of anthropology and climate change, was quoted in a Science News article describing the discovery of the oldest indigo-dyed fabric at the site of Huaca Prieta on Peru’s northern coast. The discovery of 6,000-year-old faded blue fabric places the first use of indigo dye in Peru nearly 1,600 years before the previous earliest evidence — in Egypt about 4,400 years ago. Sandweiss said the discovery is among other cultural “firsts” that have been unearthed at Huaca Prieta. The site also has offered the earliest evidence for corn farming in the Americas. “This shows the value of multidisciplinary, long-term research at a single site by a large, well-funded team,” Sandweiss said.