First Textiles: The Beginnings of Textile Manufacture in Europe and the Mediterranean

Textile production and clothing were essential daily activities in prehistory, with scarce evidence due to unfavorable preservation. The beginning of textile manufacture can be traced back to the upper Palaeolithic, with significant developments in Europe and the Mediterranean throughout the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Age. This book explores the early textile production in Europe and the Mediterranean, collecting and investigating textile and leather remains, tools, workplaces, and textile iconography. It discusses recent achievements in the research of ancient textiles and textile production, textile techniques, textile tools, and experimental textile archaeology, exploring important cultural and social aspects of textile production and its development.

Format: Hardback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 15 November 2018
Publisher: Oxbow Books

Textile production and the manufacture of clothing were essential daily activities in prehistory, with textiles serving both practical and cultural purposes. However, evidence of ancient clothing is scarce due to the unfavorable preservation of organic materials. Only occasionally are prehistoric textiles and associated implements preserved, mainly due to exceptional environmental conditions such as waterlogged contexts or very dry or cold climates. In other cases, textiles are sporadically mineralized, carbonized, or preserved by metal corrosion. Textiles and leather can also be visible as imprints on clay. The beginning of textile manufacture is still vague, but can be traced back to the upper Palaeolithic. Important developments in textile technology, such as weaving, spinning with a spindle, introduction of wool, appeared in Europe and the Mediterranean throughout the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Age. This book is devoted to the early textile production in Europe and the Mediterranean and aims to collect and investigate the combined evidence of textile and leather remains, tools, workplaces, and textile iconography. The chapters discuss the recent achievements in the research of ancient textiles and textile production, textile techniques such as spinning, fabric and skin manufacture, use of textile tools, and experimental textile archaeology. The volume explores important cultural and social aspects of textile production, and its development.

Weight: 1144g
Dimension: 288 x 214 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781785707988