<sod>GF<eod>
<sod>[[Archeology|Archaeologists]] have found evidence of [[textile]] [[dyeing]] dating back to the [[Neolithic]] period. In China, dyeing with plants, barks and insects has been traced back more than 5,000 years.<ref name="Goodwin11">Goodwin (1982), p. 11.</ref> The essential process of dyeing changed little over time.  Typically, the dye material is put in a pot of water and then the textiles to be dyed are added to the pot, which is heated and stirred until the color is transferred.  Textile [[fibre]] may be dyed before [[spinning (textiles)|spinning]] ("dyed in the wool"), but most textiles are "[[yarn]]-dyed" or "piece-dyed" after [[weaving]]. Many natural dyes require the use of chemicals called [[mordant]]s to bind the dye to the textile fibres; [[tannin]] from [[gallnut|oak galls]], salt, natural [[alum]], [[vinegar]], and [[ammonia]] from stale [[urine]] were used by early dyers.  Many mordants, and some dyes themselves, produce strong odors, and large-scale dyeworks were often isolated in their own districts.<eod>