From Hide to Thread: Tahmuras, Textile Technology, and the Birth of Abstract Visual Language on the Iranian Plateau.

Abstract: Textile production was among the most transformative technological innovations of the ancient world, yet its cognitive and semiotic impact on early visual design systems remains understudied. This paper examines the structural relationship between early textile manufacturing and the development of abstract geometric design on the Iranian Plateau. Moving beyond purely economic or material assessments of prehistoric craft, the study integrates archaeological evidence from sites such as Tepe Sialk and Cheshmeh-Ali with cultural memory theory and the epic narrative of Tahmuras from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. Using the Structural Sequence Grid (SSG) as a comparative heuristic model, I analyze how the operational mechanics (chaînes opératoires) of spinning and weaving—specifically the binary logic of the warp-and-weft grid—internalized spatial rules of symmetry, modularity, and repetition among prehistoric artisans. The study demonstrates that these mechanical habits directly informed the geometric visual systems found on Chalcolithic painted ceramics and established a lasting spatial logic in Iranian art. Incorporating a practice-led artistic perspective, this paper shows that the ancient loom functioned not merely as a utility tool, but as an early cognitive framework that shaped abstract visual thinking across the Iranian Plateau.