Saving historic textiles

Saving historic textiles

Many artefacts of perennial cultural significance from earlier centuries were woven from natural textiles. It was always confidently assumed that this rather (1) ________ fabric was virtually indestructible. Now that some of these artefacts have become museum (2) ________, we have discovered that this (3) ________ was sadly mistaken. The degradation of textiles is worrying both scientists and historians, who are racing against time to save our textile heritage before it (4) ________ into dust. Our lasting fascination with textiles (5) ________, in large part, from the fact they can be woven into just about any pattern imaginable. When it comes to longevity, however, they have a serious (6) ________: their delicate structure breaks down when they are exposed to air and sunlight. Many now argue that we must consider the cultural (7) ________ we will be leaving future generations. Without urgent (8) ________, many artefacts will be lost forever. But developing effective conservation strategies is difficult because what works to preserve one type of textile can have a catastrophic effect on the lifespan of another.