I can hardly wait for more details following conservation.

From the Associated Press:
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/05/09/ap3704966.html

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS 05.09.07, 7:19 PM ET

Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a rare 2,700-year-old piece
of fabric inside a copper urn from a burial they speculated imitated
the elaborate cremation of soldiers described in Homer's "Iliad."

The yellowed, brittle material was found in the urn during excavation
in the southern town of Argos, a Culture Ministry announcement said
Wednesday

"This is an extremely rare find, as fabric is an organic material
which decomposes very easily," said archaeologist Alkistis
Papadimitriou, who headed the dig. She said only a handful of such
artifacts have been found in Greece.

The cylindrical urn also contained dried pomegranates - offerings
linked with the ancient gods of the underworld - along with ashes and
charred human bones from an early 7th century B.C. cremation.

Papadimitriou said the material was preserved for nearly 3,000 years
by the corroding copper urn. "Copper oxides killed the microbes which
normally destroy fabric," she told The Associated Press.

Conservation experts from Athens will work on the fragile find.

"Our first concern is to save it," Papadimitriou said. "Afterward, it
will undergo laboratory tests to tell us about the precise fabric and
weaving techniques."