Textile Tools from Tiryns, mainland Greece

Prehistoric textile production has recently seen an increasing interest among scholars. New research on diverse aspects has been undertaken in order to improve our comprehension of the crucial craft of fabric and cloth manufacture in prehistoric times. Since textiles are hardly ever preserved in the archaeological material at prehistoric Greek sites, we can only investigate other remains related to textile production, especially textile implements made of clay, stone and bone. While it is relatively easy to identify the main types of clay spindle whorls, loom weights or needles, other classes of implements have proved to be more difficult to classify. This is true especially for bone tools, which are commonly found in prehistoric contexts, but their functions often remain unclear. Also various stone implements, e.g. pierced discs, may have been used in textile production, but this still needs to be verified through further studies and experiments. This paper will present various classes of Greek Early Bronze Age objects which have never before been considered as potential textile tools. The aim is to turn our attention to commonly neglected artefacts, which were often, especially in older publications, published without further examination or interpretations, but, in my view, might well have been related to textile production. Moreover, the functions of other artefacts, such as pierced clay discs, spools, and bone implements will be reconsidered.

In 2013-2017 a research project “Greek Textile Tools. Continuity and changes in textile production in Early Bronze Age Greece” was undertaken in the Centre for Textile Research (CTR), SAXO Institute at the University of Copenhagen within a Marie Skłodowska Curie fellowship (FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF, PIEF-GA-2012-329910). Its aim was to investigate , development and changes of textile tools, techniques of textile making, as well as influences from Anatolia and the Balkans on textile production in Early Helladic Greece. The research was based on a thorough investigation and analysis of archaeological finds from excavations mainly in the Peloponnese (predominantly spindle whorls and loom weights), experimental tests undertaken at CTR and the University of Warsaw (by courtesy of Dr. Agata Ulanowska), as well as collected ethnographical, zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data. In this paper, the main results of the project will be summarised with emphasis on 1. Changes in spinning and weaving during Greek Early Bronze Age; 2. New textile implements and techniques; 3. Use of plant vs. animal fibres; 4. Organisation of textile production.

Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. (Ancient textiles series; vol. 21)

in E. Andersson Strand & M.-L. Nosch (eds), Tools, Textiles and Contexts: Investigating Textile Production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age. Ancient Textiles Series Vol. 21. Oxbox Books, pp. 293-297, 2015

Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age / edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. pages cm.-(Ancient textiles series; vol. 21) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-84217-472-2 (hardback) 1. Bronze age-Middle East. 2. Textile fabrics, Prehistoric-Middle East. 3. Neolithic period-Middle East. 4. Bronze age-Aegean Islands (Greece and Turkey) 5. Neolithic period-Aegean Islands (Greece and Turkey) 6. Middle East-Antiquities. 7. Aegean Islands (Greece and Turkey)-Antiquities. I. Strand, Eva B. Andersson, editor. II. Nosch, Marie-Louise, editor. GN778.32.N4T66 2015 939.4-dc23 2015027222 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher in writing.

Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. (Ancient textiles series; vol. 21)

In: Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. (Ancient textiles series; vol. 21)

In: Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. (Ancient textiles series; vol. 21)

2015

Citation for published version (APA): Alberti, M. E., Aravantinos, V., Fappas, I., Papadaki, A., Rougemont, F., Andersson Strand, E., ... Cutler, J. (2015). Textile tools from Thebes, mainland Greece. In E. Andersson Strand, & M-L. Nosch (Eds.), Tools, Textiles and Contexts: Investigating Textile Production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age (pp. 279-292). Oxbow Books. ancient textiles series, Vol.. 21

Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. (Ancient textiles series; vol. 21)

Tools, textiles and contexts : textile production in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age edited by Eva Andersson Strand and Marie-Louise Nosch. (Ancient textiles series; vol. 21)