The Ecology and Physical Properties of Gathered Plants in Cordage and Textiles in Prehistoric Scotland

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Ties That Bind: Cordage, Its Sources, and the Artifacts of Its Creation and Use" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Within the last 30 years of ancient textile and cordage research, new and revisited archaeological evidence and ethnographic studies have shown that prehistoric people in Europe were using a wider range of plant species to produce cordage, netting, mats, and textiles than previously thought. This presentation will take a look at some of the preliminary data gathered on the use of gathered sedges, mosses, and riparian tree species as identified in Scottish non-woven textiles and cordage case studies. It will discuss the method of microscopic analysis and physical testing undertaken with comparative modern botanical samples that will be used to evaluate the inherent physical properties of flora present in prehistoric Scotland cordage and textiles. It is hoped that through delving deeper into the physical properties and ecological research of gathered materials, the relationship between these plants, their environmental context, their use as materials, and the people who worked with them will become clearer. Thus, broadening our understanding of what is and can be a textile or cordage plant in the prehistoric context.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Ties That Bind: Cordage, Its Sources, and the Artifacts of Its Creation and Use   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39898.0