TY - BOOK ID - 145253733 TI - First textiles : the beginnings of textile manufacture in Europe and the Mediterranean : proceedings of the EAA Session held in Istanbul (2014) and the "First textiles" Conference in Copenhagen (2015) AU - Siennicka, Malgorzata AU - Rahmstorf, Lorenz AU - Ulanowska, Agata AU - First textiles : the beginnings of textile manufacture in Europe and the Mediterranean (Conference) PY - 2018 SN - 9781789256871 PB - Oxford ; Philadelphia : Oxbow Books, DB - UniCat KW - Textile fabrics, Ancient KW - Textile fabrics, Prehistoric KW - Textile industry KW - Textiles et tissus antiques. KW - Textiles et tissus préhistoriques. KW - Industries textiles. KW - History. KW - Histoire KW - Europe. KW - Méditerranée (région) UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:145253733 AB - Textile production and the manufacture of clothing was one of the most essential daily activities in prehistory. Textiles were significan objects of practical use, and at the same time had cultural, social and symbolic meaning, crucial for displaying the identity, gender, social rank and status, or wealth of their users. Evidence of ancient clothing made of plant and animal fibres, fur, leather, or basketry and mats is scarce due to unfavourable preservation of organic materials. Only occasionally are prehistoric textiles, mats and wood implements preserved, mainly as a result of exceptional environmental conditions, such as waterlogged contexts like bogs, or in very dry or cold climates. In other cases textiles are sporadically mineralised, carbonised 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, e.g. weaving, spinning with a spindle whorl and the introduction of wool, appeared in Europe and the Mediterranean throughout the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age. This book, a result of two international conferences held in Istanbul (2014) and Copenhagen (2015) devoted to the early textile production in Europe and the Mediterranean, aims to collect and investigate the combined evidence of textile and leather remains, tools, workplaces and textile iconography. The chapters discuss the recent developments in the research of ancient textiles and textile production, textile techniques suche as spinning, fabric and skin manufacture, use of textile tools and experimental textile production, textile techniques suche 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. It includes comprehensive discussions of textiles, wood and bone implements from wetland settlements ; skin cloths ; specific clay, stone and bone tools for yarn and fabric making ; experiments with reconstructions of textile tools ; domestication of flax ; the social and symbolic role of textiles in the prehistory, and finally the limitations of available evidence. ER -