Olga Magoula-Bamford, Research Associate, Department of Archaeology, University of York

Volga to Vinland: Early medieval dress & textiles 9 November, 2024

Gold foil threads and braids have been found in early medieval archaeological contexts with a wide geographical distribution and various foci such as Northern Gaul and the Netherlands, the lower and middle Rhine valley and Northern Italy.

This paper reports the results of a survey based on factual evidence of a database on gold-foil headwear and accompanying textiles in contemporary contexts. A new typology growing out of varieties of gold foil, braids and threads can now be identified. The purpose of this paper is to describe and demonstrate these local and distinct types of gold braids and foil and bring them together with the types of preserved and analysed archaeological textiles which accompanied them where this is possible.

The comparative analysis of the remains of gold-foil headwear and gold thread decoration on the related remains has shown very interesting local distributions. In some localities it is possible to define local tastes and perhaps costume. On the basis of the technical analysis of these artefacts it has been possible to identify local differences in the manufacture and aesthetics across localities. These differences may be identified as diverse but identifiable local stages in the development of textile and jewellery manufacture traditions.

As it will be demonstrated Anglo-Saxon braids are of the flat strip type while more than half of the gold-foil braids and threads in the Merovingian realm are of the spun gold variety. The Germanic surviving examples also seems to be of great interest, especially around the Trier region, but the most interesting case can be found in the most varied artistic interpretations of these artefacts by the Longobards as found in various Longobardic burial contexts. This presentation and discussion will touch upon issues such as the complex processes of cultural interaction and trade, the particular history of these interactions in each locality and these will be discussed in the light of contemporary artefactual and textile analysis.