Color across the Carpathians: Fiber Optic Reflectance spectroscopy pigment analysis in Nineteenth Century Hutsul and Jewish textiles from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Romania

Fiber Optic Reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) is a quick, non-destructive method of identifying pigments and dyes, and is primarily used for the identification of pigments on paintings. However, recent studies have begun to investigate the potential of FORS analysis to determine dyes in textile artifacts (Gulmini et al., 2013, p. 3). This is the first study to analyze textile artifacts from Eastern Europe using FORS analysis. A reference collection of 103 dye, mordant type, and fabric combinations was created and compiled into a data set with their corresponding spectra (the largest of its kind in archaeological textile studies). This spectral data was used to facilitate comparisons between artifacts and their potential dyes and to analyze the dyes used in two marginalized Eastern European communities in the 19th century: Hutsuls and Jews. As a result, the variety and number of unique dyes accessible to these communities through foraging or importation can be investigated. The study...Show moreFiber Optic Reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) is a quick, non-destructive method of identifying pigments and dyes, and is primarily used for the identification of pigments on paintings. However, recent studies have begun to investigate the potential of FORS analysis to determine dyes in textile artifacts (Gulmini et al., 2013, p. 3). This is the first study to analyze textile artifacts from Eastern Europe using FORS analysis. A reference collection of 103 dye, mordant type, and fabric combinations was created and compiled into a data set with their corresponding spectra (the largest of its kind in archaeological textile studies). This spectral data was used to facilitate comparisons between artifacts and their potential dyes and to analyze the dyes used in two marginalized Eastern European communities in the 19th century: Hutsuls and Jews. As a result, the variety and number of unique dyes accessible to these communities through foraging or importation can be investigated. The study highlights regional variations in dyeing practices and materials, reflecting broader cultural, economic, religious, and historical contexts. Findings underscore both the capabilities and limitations of FORS in textile analysis, contributing to new insights into the material culture of historically marginalized Eastern European communities, connecting archaeology, ethnobotany, and Jewish and Hutsul ethnographic history.Show less

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Color across the Carpathians: Fiber Optic Reflectance spectroscopy pigment analysis in Nineteenth Century Hutsul and Jewish textiles from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Romania