Tie-dye is considered to be a product of pre-history. Even though fabric was perishable and long ago disintegrated, archeologists still established that a variety of stamps could have been used for printing fabric five thousand years ago in Mesopotamia and India. In one thousand B.C.,  cloths such as those used to wrap mummies were found in dyed form in Egypt. It’s possible that the dying techniques trekked through various trade routes from India to Egypt.

Bright colors have delighted mankind from prehistoric times until today.  Dyes were discovered by primitive man  through the use of various  plants' juices, flowers, bark, leaves, etc.,  and applying the substances to basic cloth. The problem with the early dyes is that they could be easily brushed off, or did not last through washing.  Even though color was applied they didn’t consider this dying. It was simply a form of embellishment.

What was considered dying was the art of color forming a permanent bond with fiber, in a prepared dye bath. In Egypt, China, Mexico, Peru, Greece, and Rome, dying became a specialized way of earning a living. These ancient artists found out that some dyes dissolved and gave their color readily to water. Another way was for the fabric to absorb the color. The problem with the latter was that the fabric wasn’t colorfast. Through time the dyes in the material would fade. If the fabric was faded by the time an important ceremony happened, the garment would be re-dipped  for a new and bright look.
   Safflower was used as a dye in Persia and the Far East. The "threads" of the Safflower  (which are also used as a very expensive seasoning) dissolved easily, turning water into a soluble yellow. The red insoluble matter was extracted by working an alkaline bath, neutralized with acid afterwards.

The herb turmeric was crushed to a fine powder and dissolved in water so that cotton material would be dyed deep yellows. This color has been used in India since ancient times and was the beginning of the art of dying from East to West.
    China has been creating a form of  tie-dying since the sixth century. They knew how to turn, fold, and tie silk or cotton so when the fabric was dipped, different parts of the fabric would absorb the dye. This caused the designs on different parts of the material to show color more intensely than other areas. The only people that were allowed to wear the "tie-dyed" garments were Priests and the wealthy. You could tell by the colors used what rank or social standing someone was in the Chinese culture.
    Tie-dye became all the rage during the Vietnam War period when people craved peace and freedom from the starched idea of parents and authority. It was a form of artistic expression (as well as protest) for the hippie, psychedelic generation who were free spirited and uninhibited during this difficult time in American history. These artistic peace-lovers embellished t-shirts, curtains, tapestries, pants, and anything else that would proclaim their individuality ! Tie-dye made people happy then, as it does today! It has remained the utmost symbol of the  sixties! And, in all it's forms, tie-dye is not only an art of fabric, but a piece of our world history.