Leather Clothes of Eastern Bedouin Libyan Women (A study in Ancient Libyan Civilization through Literary and Archaeological Sources)

Abstract

This research is about one of the aspects of Libyan civilization, namely, «the leather clothes of Libyan women», especially the Bedouins in ancient eastern Libya, i.e. the area which, geographically, is defined at the western borders of the Nile Delta and up to Lake Tritonis in central Tunisia. Literary sources have made some references in this regard. Their version of the Libyan origin of leather clothes agrees with what was presented by archaeological works by depicting Libyan women with Libyan features wearing what resembles a cloak or coat over their underwear. Some Greek sources considered this cloak or coat the origin of Athena Pallas’s clothes, with a Libyan origin. In our study, we relied on both literary and archaeological sources, followed the narrative-analytic Method, and at the same time we discussed the opinions and results that other researchers have reached on the same subject. The study concluded several results, the most important of which is that Libyan women have always worn leather cloaks made mostly of goatskin. With all its details, it is the same as the dress of the Greek Athena Pallas, which is known as “Aegis”, and which is the most famous armor in the arts and literature of the Greeks.