Erich Pucher zum 65. Geburtstag Trebsche, Peter; Saliari, Konstantina; Kroh, Andreas ...
Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Serie A, für Mineralogie und Petrographie, Geologie und Paläontologie, Anthropologie und Prähistorie,
01/2018, Letnik:
120
Journal Article
A group of four rectangular pits in front of a large building (possibly a sanctuary) supported by two rows of nine massive wooden posts excavated near the town Brodek u Prostějova (Prostějov County, ...Moravia, Czech Republic) delivered a number of vessels, wristguards and stone arrow heads dated to the Bell Beaker Culture (c. 2500–2200 BC). The goods appear to have been intentionally deposited, possibly as a ritual offering, as indicated by the lack of human remains in the pits and signs of intentional breakage of some objects. One of the vessels, an amphora, differed from the others (mainly Bell Beakers) in its coarser material and lack of ornament. Textile fragments adhering to the outside of the amphora indicate that it was wrapped in cloth at time of deposition. This wrapping could possibly have served as decorative element, enhancing the appearance of the – compared to the others – rather crude vessel. An alternative explanation could be wrapping as part of ritual activities – such as inferred for the common practice of wrapping of grave goods in Bronze and Iron Age burials.
The textile remains themselves, albeit fragmentary, are astonishingly well preserved. SEM analysis of the fibres identified the material as crudely processed flax, which exhibits incompletely separated fibres. The technique used for fibre processing was splicing, which is well known from contemporary sites in the Eastern Mediterranean and Ancient Egypt. Compared with other (rare) finds of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age textiles it is relatively fine.
Der textile Fundbestand der Prähistorischen Abteilung des Naturhistorischen Museums Wien umfasst neben Objekten aus der Urgeschichte auch einige wenige Stücke der Römerzeit und des Frühmittelalters. ...Es wurden Metallfunde mit ankorrodierten Textilresten aus Gräbern des 1.-5. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. untersucht. Dabei wurden meist feine Leinengewebe entdeckt, aber auch ein Wollstoff in Köperbindung aus einem frühvölkerwanderungszeitlichen Grab in Nordniederösterreich. Den Gewebefunden aus den Gräbern sind aufgrund ihres Fundkontextes und mikrostratigrafischer Analysen verschiedene Funktionen zuweisbar: So sind bei den Geweben an Trachtbestandteilen in Körpergräbern Kleidungsteile belegt, in einem Grab aus Mitterhof fanden sich Reste eines Wollbeutelchens. Die Gewebe aus den Tumuli mit Brandbestattungen des 1. und 2. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. stellen hingegen keine Gewandreste in Lage am Körper der Verstorbenen dar (die wahrscheinlich mitverbrannt wurden). Nach dem Befundkontext können die Textilien Umhüllungen für beigegebene Objekte sein, vielleicht aber auch unverbrannt beigegebene Kleidungsstücke, die mit den Trachtbestandteilen deponiert wurden. Within the collections of the Prehistoric Department of the Natural History Museum Vienna not only finds from Stone Age to Iron Age are stored, it also owes objects from Roman Period and Migration Period. In this paper corroded textiles of the 1st to 5th century AD are of interest. Attached on metal finds from graves we know fine linen textiles in tabby. There is one coarse woollen twill fabric, found in an Early Migration Period grave in Northern Austria. Context analysis and microstratigraphic research gave hints for the function of the textiles in the graves: On the one hand we are able to deduce, that textiles on jewellery in inhumation graves could have been parts of garments. We even know fragments of a woollen bag from a grave in Mitterhof. The interpretation of textiles from the Styrian cremation graves of the 1st and 2nd century AD is a challenge, because they were not found in direct context with a human body. The fabrics donated in the graves can be parts of clothes or even wrappings or coverings of grave goods.
Bei der Ausgrabung der völkerwanderungszeitlichen Gräbergruppe von Gobelsburg aus dem 5. Jh. n. Chr. wurden an Metallartefakten sowie an kleinen unscheinbaren Eisenfragmenten organische Strukturen ...sichergestellt, deren Analyse einen wertvollen Beitrag zur Grundlagenforschung darstellt. Die Textilien weisen sehr vielfältige Qualitäten und Gewebestrukturen auf und weichen somit stark von der zeitgleichen Textilkultur im süddanubischen Raum ab. Nicht nur Überreste der Kleidung der Toten konnten in Gobelsburg identifiziert werden, sondern auch Fragmente textiler Behältnisse. Lederreste haben sich vor allem in Form von Gürtelleder und Messer-bzw. Schwertscheidenfragmenten erhalten. In einem Grab konnten pflanzliche Reste von Wildgras oder Kulturgetreide nachgewiesen werden, die eventuell einst als eine Heu- oder Strohstreuung im Grab dienten. Diese Sitte findet dank neuester Untersuchungen von frühmittelalterlichen Gräberfeldern in Süddeutschland gute Parallelen. Die entomologischen Reste desselben Grabes weisen auf Speisenbeigaben in Form von Obst oder Gemüse hin. Recent excavations at Gobelsburg in Lower Austria revealed six graves dating to the 5th century AD (migration period). Mineralized structures adhering to some metal artefacts as well as tiny fragments of iron were found, giving precious insights into organic materials which were used within the burials. They are a valuable source for basic research about textiles, leather, fur and other materials. Among the textiles, various qualities and weave structures were found; they differ from contemporary textiles found south of the Danube in the collapsing Roman Empire. The organic artefactual finds in the graves comprise the clothing of the buried persons as well as pouches made of textile. Preserved leather fragments are the remains of scabbards and belts. One grave contained residues of wild grass or cereals, which points to hay- or straw-bedding on which the deceased may have been laid down. This burial custom is a well-known feature within early medieval graves in southern Germany. Entomological remains from the same grave may show use of fruit or vegetables as grave offerings.
In 1982, Peter Collingwood wrote one of the fundamental books about the technique of tablet weaving. He explained all known techniques, exploiting historic and ethnographic sources. A deep insight ...into practical work and the creative process of tablet weaving allowed him to shed a fascinating light on this old technique, which makes it possible to produce many complex weave structures and patterns.
Collingwood’s chronological list of tablet weaving before AD 1000 starts at the sixth century BC. From Central Europe he only mentions the Hohmichele find, describing it as ‘A woollen weft-face fabric found in the Hohmichele tumulus, Germany (a
Textiles from the Bronze Age and Iron Age have been preserved for more than 3000years in the salt mine of Hallstatt, Austria. Copper originating from prehistoric mining tools made of bronze has ...probably altered the colour of many of the textiles. Three woven bands from the Iron Age were chosen for reproductions in order to show how they might originally have looked, and to acquire knowledge of prehistoric dyeing technology. Dyeing techniques documented in historical, ethnographic, and experimental archaeological literature were analysed. Fibre, dye and element analyses of the prehistoric bands formed the basis for the experimental development of dyeing methods using woad (Isatis tinctoria L.), weld (Reseda luteola L.) and scentless chamomile (Tripleurospermum inodorum (L.) Sch. Bip.). The hand spun yarns were woven with rep band and tablet weaving techniques. Each band was successfully reconstructed in two possible colour variants. The light fastness of the dyed woollen yarns ranges between level 3 and 6 and matches everyday requirements today. Element and dye analyses and a post-mordanting experiment with copper acetate explain today's colours of the woven bands. A detailed picture of conceivable dyeing techniques in the Hallstatt Culture is provided, concerning the handling of textile material during dyeing, woad processing and dyeing procedures, mordanting techniques, and the tools and resources required. Dyeing with natural dyes is an ancient cultural technology that is simple in terms of equipment and resources, but sophisticated in terms of the knowledge required. It fully reflects the comprehensive knowledge prehistoric people had of the chemical properties of natural substances, the effect of temperature on (bio)chemical processes, and the ability to control and manage these processes. In central Europe, the beginning of this knowledge dates back to Bronze Age, the 2nd millennium BC, as proven by the textile finds in Hallstatt.
•Colours of Iron Age bands were reconstructed based on fibre, dye and element analysis.•Dyeing methods with woad, weld and scentless chamomile were developed.•A post-mordanting experiment with copper explained today's colours of the bands.•Hypotheses about Iron Age dyeing technology are discussed.•Dyeing demonstrates the comprehensive knowledge of prehistoric people to manage (bio)chemical processes.
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