Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EgYarn (Unravelling the thread: textile production in New Kingdom Egypt)
Période du rapport: 2021-01-01 au 2022-12-31
The EgYarn project has focused on the textile production of New Kingdom Egypt (1550-1070 BCE). The main objective of the project was to provide a fresh perspective on New Kingdom social and economic organisation, by analysing the production of textiles. The project combined archaeological findings (textile tools, fabrics, fishing nets), textual sources (papyri, ostraca and temple inscriptions), iconography and experimental archaeology, to answer important questions such as: where and how were textiles produced? Can domestic and institutional production be differentiated? Did the consumption of home-produced textiles extend beyond the family sphere? Decoding the New Kingdom's textile industry provides insight into a fundamental aspect of the Ancient Egyptian economy at its peak.
The project has produced significant results through the activities carried out in the three Work Packages. The first part focused on the technical study of archaeological items, to understand the chaîne opératoire of Egyptian textiles. A series of methodologies and tools have been created for the study of Egyptian textiles.
The analysis of a selection of wooden tools (with wood identification) and of fibres and textiles in different stages of the process has allowed to design the experimental archaeology session. This has been designed and carried out between Denmark and Sweden and subsequently replicated in Italy to validate the results. The experiment included the processing of flax fibres with different methods, in particular one called decortification; splicing the fibres for creating roves; twisting and plying the roves with different spindles and using the spinning techniques attested in Egyptian iconography. The result has been the development of a methodology for replicating ancient yarns, using decortication and splicing, which significantly reduces the amount of water required for fibre preparation and produces fewer pollutants. Finally, woods used in textile production have been identified with highly promising results in terms of wood sourcing and economic possibilities of the ancient community.
The combined approach of using textual source together with archaeological findings proved to be very useful. The analysis of textual sources, in fact, showed an interesting picture of the organisation of the textile production in the New Kingdom. It has been particularly interesting to check the terminology used, as my expertise in textile analysis allowed me to find problems in the translations and create a more specific terminology of Ancient Egyptian textile industry. Furthermore, comparing the archaeological findings with the textual reference provided a much more completed picture of the organisation of the production, which would have not been possible only by using one or another resource. It is now clear that the production was not simply a dichotomy of household production and palace/temple production, but there were other categories in between (household production advanced and cottage industry) and even evidence of a mass production ante-litteram. It also opened the way to further investigation on the terminology used for the different types of textiles, as the access to archaeological objects allowed me to start the creation of a typology of garments.
The project has produced significant results through the activities carried out in the three Work Packages. The first part focused on the technical study of archaeological items, to understand the chaîne opératoire of Egyptian textiles. A series of methodologies and tools have been created for the study of Egyptian textiles.
The analysis of a selection of wooden tools (with wood identification) and of fibres and textiles in different stages of the process has allowed to design the experimental archaeology session. This has been designed and carried out between Denmark and Sweden and subsequently replicated in Italy to validate the results. The experiment included the processing of flax fibres with different methods, in particular one called decortification; splicing the fibres for creating roves; twisting and plying the roves with different spindles and using the spinning techniques attested in Egyptian iconography. The result has been the development of a methodology for replicating ancient yarns, using decortication and splicing, which significantly reduces the amount of water required for fibre preparation and produces fewer pollutants. Finally, woods used in textile production have been identified with highly promising results in terms of wood sourcing and economic possibilities of the ancient community.
The combined approach of using textual source together with archaeological findings proved to be very useful. The analysis of textual sources, in fact, showed an interesting picture of the organisation of the textile production in the New Kingdom. It has been particularly interesting to check the terminology used, as my expertise in textile analysis allowed me to find problems in the translations and create a more specific terminology of Ancient Egyptian textile industry. Furthermore, comparing the archaeological findings with the textual reference provided a much more completed picture of the organisation of the production, which would have not been possible only by using one or another resource. It is now clear that the production was not simply a dichotomy of household production and palace/temple production, but there were other categories in between (household production advanced and cottage industry) and even evidence of a mass production ante-litteram. It also opened the way to further investigation on the terminology used for the different types of textiles, as the access to archaeological objects allowed me to start the creation of a typology of garments.
A relevant dataset of textiles and tools from museum collections and fieldwork has been created to cover all aspects of textile production in the New Kingdom. This dataset is an important resource for understanding the technical aspects of Egyptian textile production (part of it presented at the Purpureae Vestes conference; another part published in ATR 64).
A database in LibreOffice has been created to record all the textiles data, and this program is available to anyone who requests it. This database is a useful tool for researchers and scholars interested in studying ancient textiles (available on the demand).
A methodology to replicate ancient Egyptian yarns using decortification and splicing has been developed. This process was lost in Europe but has many advantages, including significantly reducing the amount of water needed to prepare fibers and producing less pollution (presented at the Current Research in Textile Archaeology along the Nile workshop).
The main locations of textile production have been successfully identified through the study of textual sources. This information is important for understanding the distribution and organization of textile production during the New Kingdom period. The gender of textile workers has been successfully identified through the study of textual sources (presented at the Egyptological conference in Copenhagen). This information is important for understanding the social organization of textile production during the New Kingdom period.
The mechanism of organization and production of textiles has been successfully identified through the study of textual sources. This information is important for understanding the technical and organizational aspects of textile production during the New Kingdom period. (Presented at the Current Research in Egyptology conference).
The different scales of textile production have been identified using a combination of archaeological and textual sources. These include domestic production, domestic production advanced, putting out system, elite production, and mass production. This information is important for understanding the social and economic organization of textile production during the New Kingdom period.
A database in LibreOffice has been created to record all the textiles data, and this program is available to anyone who requests it. This database is a useful tool for researchers and scholars interested in studying ancient textiles (available on the demand).
A methodology to replicate ancient Egyptian yarns using decortification and splicing has been developed. This process was lost in Europe but has many advantages, including significantly reducing the amount of water needed to prepare fibers and producing less pollution (presented at the Current Research in Textile Archaeology along the Nile workshop).
The main locations of textile production have been successfully identified through the study of textual sources. This information is important for understanding the distribution and organization of textile production during the New Kingdom period. The gender of textile workers has been successfully identified through the study of textual sources (presented at the Egyptological conference in Copenhagen). This information is important for understanding the social organization of textile production during the New Kingdom period.
The mechanism of organization and production of textiles has been successfully identified through the study of textual sources. This information is important for understanding the technical and organizational aspects of textile production during the New Kingdom period. (Presented at the Current Research in Egyptology conference).
The different scales of textile production have been identified using a combination of archaeological and textual sources. These include domestic production, domestic production advanced, putting out system, elite production, and mass production. This information is important for understanding the social and economic organization of textile production during the New Kingdom period.
One of the challenges of studying ancient Egyptian textile production is the limited amount of available materials for study. The EgYarn project has made significant progress in addressing this issue by thoroughly examining a range of archaeological finds, many of which have been presented at academic conferences. This has led to a much more diverse understanding of the textile production practices of New Kingdom Egypt.
Through the project's research into the chaîne opératoire and flax processing,EgYarn has not only contributed to the understanding of ancient Egyptian textiles, but also provided valuable insights for anyone working with vegetable fibres in antiquity. This comprehensive understanding of the production process has the potential to significantly enhance the knowledge of Egyptologists and other experts in the field.
The project has undertaken a thorough study of all available sources related to textile production in the New Kingdom. This extensive research has allowed to gain a more complete understanding of the social and economic factors that influenced this industry in ancient Egypt.
The combination of philology and archaeology in the project's research has opened up exciting new avenues for investigation. By examining both textual and archaeological sources in conjunction, the EgYarn team has been able to deepen their understanding of the textile production landscape of New Kingdom Egypt and identify new areas for exploration.
In conclusion, this project has produced significant results that have deepened our knowledge of ancient Egyptian textile production, highlighting the importance of experimenting with new methodologies and techniques. Furthermore, the results may also be useful for other research areas, from archaeology to textile studies. Finally, the project aims to have a positive impact on the modern environment, in terms of use of less polluting processes for textile production.
Through the project's research into the chaîne opératoire and flax processing,EgYarn has not only contributed to the understanding of ancient Egyptian textiles, but also provided valuable insights for anyone working with vegetable fibres in antiquity. This comprehensive understanding of the production process has the potential to significantly enhance the knowledge of Egyptologists and other experts in the field.
The project has undertaken a thorough study of all available sources related to textile production in the New Kingdom. This extensive research has allowed to gain a more complete understanding of the social and economic factors that influenced this industry in ancient Egypt.
The combination of philology and archaeology in the project's research has opened up exciting new avenues for investigation. By examining both textual and archaeological sources in conjunction, the EgYarn team has been able to deepen their understanding of the textile production landscape of New Kingdom Egypt and identify new areas for exploration.
In conclusion, this project has produced significant results that have deepened our knowledge of ancient Egyptian textile production, highlighting the importance of experimenting with new methodologies and techniques. Furthermore, the results may also be useful for other research areas, from archaeology to textile studies. Finally, the project aims to have a positive impact on the modern environment, in terms of use of less polluting processes for textile production.