Textile Research

Textile Research is a service to archaeologists and museums in the field of ‘fibre products’, namely textiles, cordage, basketry, raw fibre and animal pelts.

We provide catalogues and written reports on collections of textiles and textile tools, and use site distribution plots and stratigraphy to construct an interpretation of the evidence.

 

Scientific analysis forms an essential foundation for this work and we have established reliable methods for identifying raw materials.

 

Costume studies are an important research strand: a protocol for the interpretation of clothed burials has been published and is now followed by a number of European institutions.

 

For examples of published work, click on Bibliography

 

We also advise on museum displays and work with weavers and costume-makers to produce authentic reconstructions of costumes and textile crafts.

 

The Textile Research business is now part of The Anglo-Saxon Laboratory (Home), but its remit is much wider than Anglo-Saxon England. It covers all periods from the Neolithic to the 19th century. Our unit has worked on collections from all over the world, although northern Europe remains the main area of activity.