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...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
In this Bachelor Thesis, the animal (mammal) bone remains of the Merovingian site of Oegstgeest were discussed. The Merovingian settlement at Oegstgeest was located along the Old River Rhine and...Show moreIn this Bachelor Thesis, the animal (mammal) bone remains of the Merovingian site of Oegstgeest were discussed. The Merovingian settlement at Oegstgeest was located along the Old River Rhine and was possibly part of a (inter)regional trade network. Agriculture and animal husbandry were important parts of its economy. A comparison was made between three different contexts; the waste pits, wells and the channel. The goal of this Bachelor Thesis was to show whether there are differences between the composition of these assemblages (age data, fragmentation, representation of elements etc.) and how these might be explained. Taphonomy was important for the interpretation of these differences. There are not many differences between the assemblages and the general patterns in these assemblages are largely the same. The archaeological features (waste pits, wells and the channel) probably had the same function; waste disposal. One of the most notable differences is that primarily the waste pit material are more fragmented, which can indicate worse preservation conditions or the extraction of bone marrow (leads to splintering of bones). Another notable difference is the large amount of pig bones in the channel assemblage, compared to the other assemblages. This can be partially explained by the influence of post-depositional taphonomic processes, but the differences are too big to solely ascribe them to taphonomic processes. It is hard to identify, which taphonomic processes took place and how large of an impact they had on the assemblage. Thus the conclusions presented in this research are indications of what could have underlain the observed patterns. Future research should focus on identifying taphonomic signatures (preservation of the bones etc.) and try to establish the influence of post-depositional processes on the formation of the assemblages. Furthermore larger datasets would give a more representative picture of the assemblages.Show less
