The Fabric of Kings: Funerary textile remains from Mycenae and the early Mycenaean textile production.<

Inv. no 9653

 
 The fragments belonging to inv. 9653 do not represent a woven textile. Instead, they appear to form part of a mat-like construction composed of very thick, ribbon-like elements with no observable ligature or interlacing. Their morphology suggests that the grave or the deceased may have been covered with layers of bark rather than with a textile. Because of the nature and state of preservation of the material, no thread diameters or technical measurements could be taken.

Inv. no 816_c

The third textile quality is a small fragment of weft-faced tabby with spliced S2*z threads of ca. 0.45 mm in diameter in both directions. The fragment preserves part of a side edge of the fabric. The edge shows a particular reinforcement technique where the weft passes over and under the two last warp threads when it arrives at the edge. A similar side edge has been observed in a 5th c.

Inv. no 9651_b

The study indicates that this is a, most probably, wool fabric (today very much degraded), dyed in a bright purple colour (at least near the decoration) and decorated with tapestry patterns made using a supplemental, thicker linen thread in the natural shade of flax.

Inv. no 9651_a

The find is composed of a large mineralised tabby, on the surface of which there are traces of a second fabric. These traces, scattered all over its surface, on both sides, seem to belong to a very degraded, dark coloured fabric, once decorated with tapestry patterns and dyed purple.

Inv. no 8592

The bronze blade conserves part of the textile with which it was wrapped. One side preserves a large fragment conserved in multiple layers (in some areas more than six) in a mineralised condition. The other side preserves minute traces on the blade, as well as a textile fragment on the nails, indicating that this side was also in connection to the fabric. The second side preserves also a silver wire of unknown use.

Inv. no 8591

Still adhering to the bronze dagger it used to cover, this is a well-preserved balanced tabby, only superficially mineralised. It is conserved on one side of the dagger and covers almost all its surface, from the nails to the tip. It is damaged and torn in many places, folded in others and lays on the dagger without indication about whether it was originally wrapped around it. 

Inv. no 8589

The fabric is a balanced tabby with a thread count of 19 threads/cm for the warp and 21-22 threads/cm for the weft. The threads have the characteristics of spliced threads with an S-twist for the final thread and a z-twist for each single thread (Gleba and Harris 2018).

Inv. no 9566_c

Among the textiles found with the fragmented bronze vase, several display the characteristics of tapestry decoration. They mostly conserve a single thread direction, the weft forming the decoration, while minute traces of very degraded, blackish, warp threads are visible between the weft.

Inv. no 9566_b

Some freestanding fragments found among the fragments of the vase inv. no 9566 look quite similar to the textile remains inv. no 15864_a and 9616_a. In this case, the fragments are preserved without any treatment (no wax), which, in normal circumstances, allows for a more detailed macroscopic study.

Inv. no 9566_a

The find inv. no 9566 comprises at least three different fabrics.

Quality 1) Balanced tabby (probably corresponding to inv. no 9651_a, 8589, 8591, 8592)

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