The Case:
History Detectives investigates the mystery behind an unusual Navajo rug.
To the Navajo, weaving is more than a simple craft – it is a spiritual practice, connecting the weaver to the spirits of earth and sky. Their symbols tell stories from Navajo beliefs. But tradition also holds that some symbols are too sacred for the loom and to capture them risks harm to the weaver or their family.
Our contributor from Lompoc, California has a rug with a series of baffling symbols and wants to know what the story is behind this rug and who the weaver could have been.
History Detectives meets with a Navajo medicine man and a traditional Navajo weaver and tries to discover if the weaver violated a taboo to create this rug.
Related Content
Video:
Technique:
Feature:
Related Links
Explore
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Harlem Heirs
How is this ornate document connected to the earliest settlers of New York City and a potential multi-million dollar land dispute?
-
Also in Season 7
Galleon Shipwreck
Is this a piece of treasure from a Spanish galleon washed up on an Oregon beach?
-
Related Investigation
Ince Ledger
What does this accounts ledger for a movie company have to do with the changing world of the Lakota Sioux?
-
Related Investigation
Cast Iron Eagle
Did this 12-foot-high eagle once grace the old Grand Central Station in Manhattan?
-
Also in Emerging Modern America: 1890-1930
Sears Home
Might an Ohio couple's residence be a long-forgotten Sears home?
-
Also in Season 7
Birthplace Of Hip Hop
Did this Bronx apartment building give birth to a culture that now spans the globe?
Comments
This is a place for opinions, comments, questions and discussion; a place where viewers of History Detectives can express their points of view and connect with others who value history. We ask that posters be polite and respectful of all opinions. History Detectives reserves the right to delete comments that don’t conform to this conduct. We will not respond to every post, but will do our best to answer specific questions, or address an error.