Untangling Wool: Fibre preparation for woollen threads in Dutch Early  Bronze Age to Middle Iron Age

The research of archaeological textilia is important. The empower this statement, the textilia of the past have to be understood. Why did people make and use these products? To get a grasp of the answer, the production process has to be understood. Due to its complexity, every part of the chain functions as a choice, influencing the final product. This thesis focusses on the sorting preparation of woollen fibres, comparing experimentally processed and spun threads with archaeological samples of woollen yarn from Roswinkel, Smilde-Ravensmeer and Oss. The research starts with setting up a new methodology for the experiment, because little to none has been written on the subject. Focussing on the preparation of woollen fibres, the different reactions to carding, combing and teasing techniques are captured in a handspun thread. The visible reaction of the fibres are noticeable under a microscope. Differences are use of different fibre types, different fibre lengths, the alignment, the...Show moreThe research of archaeological textilia is important. The empower this statement, the textilia of the past have to be understood. Why did people make and use these products? To get a grasp of the answer, the production process has to be understood. Due to its complexity, every part of the chain functions as a choice, influencing the final product. This thesis focusses on the sorting preparation of woollen fibres, comparing experimentally processed and spun threads with archaeological samples of woollen yarn from Roswinkel, Smilde-Ravensmeer and Oss. The research starts with setting up a new methodology for the experiment, because little to none has been written on the subject. Focussing on the preparation of woollen fibres, the different reactions to carding, combing and teasing techniques are captured in a handspun thread. The visible reaction of the fibres are noticeable under a microscope. Differences are use of different fibre types, different fibre lengths, the alignment, the amount of crimp and the airiness between the fibres. The feel often corresponds with the used technique. The threads spun of the teased fibres feel either carded or combed, but are much less aligned. Comparing the analysis of the experimental yarn to the archaeological samples, the fibres show much alignment and almost no crimp. The threads are also of a very fine diameter. By using a VP-SEM instead of a stereo light microscope, as had been used for the experimental samples, many details are noticeable. Much can be seen in the material excavated from the peat, but the Oss material was often too mineralized. Therefore, the seemingly fibre reaction to the preparation technique could have been due to post-depositional causes. Contradictory, it seems unlikely that the fibres align (almost) perfectly in nature, concluding some sorting technique must have been used.Show less

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Untangling Wool: Fibre preparation for woollen threads in Dutch Early Bronze Age to Middle Iron Age