Quote Originally Posted by figheadair View Post
Apparently not. Look closely at the threads. What do you see and what does that tell you?
Well, continuing with the home or primitive loom idea, I'd say that the threads themselves may have been homespun. The threads don't seem to have retained any or even much twist.

The red threads seem very bright. I don't know time frames for the types of dyes or their availability so I can't give an opinion on this other than the colour hasn't faded.

I'm gonna go all romantic and tragic by saying that a loving mother/sister/sweetheart wove a length of tartan for their husband/son/brother/sweetheart who died and was buried in the tartan with the mother/sister/sweetheart carefully keeping a swatch to remember them by.