But understanding the deeper roots of these garments requires looking back further in time. Archaeological examination of historical clothing and artifacts is very important for understanding how our ancestors lived. From the 7th to 13th centuries, the Baltic region was already inhabited by Finno-Ugric and Baltic tribes. But according to the Latvian Institute, “no written or visual records of people’s dress were created. Therefore the only evidence of dress can be found through the help of archaeological excavations.” During the medieval period, there was the tradition of decorating people’s dress with bronze rings and spirals. Bronze jewellery was also worn. This tradition is thought to have spread from Finland but became most developed in eastern Latvian territory.
... clothing decorated with bronze has been found to be relatively well-preserved, even when buried, due to the long-lasting anti-microbial properties of copper...
