Quote Originally Posted by OC Richard View Post
About proving that it was tartan, it just depends on how one defines "tartan". If tartan is defined as a Highland Scottish system of specific patterns signifying specific families or surnames, "tartan" cannot exist anywhere outwith Highland Scotland. And, I might point out that "tartan" so defined didn't exist in the Highlands of Scotland until the 19th century.
I beg your pardon. I clearly failed to be clear. The definition in the discussion being "tartan", I took off having failed to file a flight plan.

There have been several references made here on the forum and elsewhere about the DNA studies prompted by the distribution of red hair.
The Tarim Basin mummies having demonstrated the presence of it in that area surprised some folk, and they looked for connections in other
populations with that trait. The closest relatives of the Tarim Basin mummies appear to be the Sami along the Arctic Circle. Their next
closest relatives appear to be the red haired folk in Ireland. Each of the northern populations is closer kin to the Tarim Basin folk than they
are to each other. I know for a fact this is true, as I read it on the web. As has been noted before, tartan patterned textiles were
found in the Basin as well. Most likely not so labeled, but nevertheless the pattern. People from that area of the world migrated and/or
traveled far and wide, or were visited from afar, as demonstrated by the red hair connections. No one can say where red hair or tartan
first appeared, only that Tarim Basin is the earliest dated instance of red hair, and they had textiles of this pattern.

Thus my statement that Scotland can certainly claim the tartan kilt as national dress, but its association with tartan came after long use
in various places elsewhere.