Ancient Mayan Fabrics found in queen's tomb: 28-04-2008
Archaeologists investigating Mayan culture in Honduras have uncovered some impressive textiles and fabrics.
The fragments of the fabric were found in the tomb of a Maya queen and scientists claim they could rival modern-day cloth for quality.
According to reports from National Geographic, the queen was buried in the 4th century AD and some of the fabrics have very high thread counts.
Margaret Ordonez, a textile expert from the University of Rhode Island said there were more threads in the cloth than in a normal pair of jeans.
"We're talking about a humid climate, and to have fragments of fabric exist in the tomb for that long is just amazing," she added.
Historians believe that the tomb may have been opened for admirers to offer gifts and to dress the tomb in the aftermath of the queen's death.
A small proportion of the indigenous people of Honduras descended from Mayan culture and the Lencas are often thought to be of Mayan descent.
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