Tartan and identity: whose is it?
As the colder months approach, scarves have returned as a saving grace to many of our otherwise bland outfits. With each year new styles are worn, but over time I’ve noticed one pattern continuously worn as a favourite: tartan. Whilst closely associated with the Scottish Highlands, the pattern’s history does not lie only there. The earliest tartan-like samples date back to ancient China approximately 3000 years ago, following their discovery in the ‘Qizilchoqua tombs’ containing mummified remains wrapped in tartan-like cloth. It is suggested by some historians to be a branch of Indo-Europeans, a population carrying European physical characteristics who lived in this region up to around 4000 years ago, however there is no direct link to Celtic heritage from this group. Tartan designs were also found in Celtic regions in Europe, migrating to a denser usage in Scotland. The earliest surviving Scottish sample of tartan dates back to the 16th century. The pattern is understood t...