Reconstructing fabrics used in the clothing of “Kukruse Woman” from the late 12th century: A craftsperson’s perspective

This article focuses on the reconstruction of fabrics based on archaeological finds. When a woman’s grave from the late twelfth century AD (Kukruse Burial VI) was unearthed at Kukruse in eastern Estonia, archaeologists involved experts from various fields in studying the materials that were found in the grave – from natural scientists to textile researchers. A set of clothing was reproduced from what was found in the grave of the “Kukruse Woman”. The grave that served as the basis for this study featured plentiful amounts of jewellery and bronze embellishments, but textile remains were extremely scarce. It was for this reason that, when it came to weaving the fabrics, other archaeological textile finds that date back to the same period had to be relied on to a degree. The aim was to achieve a visual resemblance to the historic fabric. When weaving the woollen fabrics, the yarn used was from the wool of an ancient Estonian sheep breed, the native Kihnu type, which was spun in a way that is customary for contemporary woollen mills. In order to obtain the required shade of blue, synthetic dyes were used on the yarn. The tools used met the needs of a modern weaver and increased the efficiency of the work. This article interprets handicraft skills on the basis of the crafter’s personal experience, primarily from a weaver’s perspective. Reconstructing an ancient fabric includes not only reproducing the item itself, but also the process of studying and recreating inherited skills that had since been lost. Keywords: woollen fabric, reconstructing clothing, archaeological textile finds, weavin

Rekonstruktsioon Paistu vaipseelikust

https://www.ester.ee/record=b4093993*es

Villaste kangaste kudumise võtted 11.-17. sajandi Eesti arheoloogiliste leidude põhjal ja nende taasloomine tänapäeval

Magistritöö „Villaste kangaste kudumise võtted 11.–17. sajandi Eesti arheoloogiliste leidude põhjal ja nende taasloomine tänapäeval“ sisaldab uurimuslikku osa, esemelise allikmaterjali käsitlust ja praktilise töö valikuid, kirjeldusi ja kokkuvõtteid. Töös keskendusin kangakudumise juures kasutatud töövõtetele ja kangaste visuaalsele taasloomisele. Kui enamasti on rekonstrueeritud mineviku rõivaesemeid või rõivajooniseid, siis antud töös lähenesin arheoloogilisele ainesele kangakudumise tehnoloogia taastamise eesmärgil. Esemelise allikmaterjalina kasutasin Tartu Ülikooli arheoloogiakogus, Tallinna Ülikooli arheoloogia teaduskogus ning ERM-i tekstiilikogus hoitavaid tekstiilileide. Ajaliseks alampiiriks minu uurimistööle on 11. sajand, mille tingis Eesti aladel levinud matmistraditsioon. Kuni 11. sajandini oli tavaks surnud ja neile kaasa pandud panused põletada, tänu millele pole enne seda tekstiilid enamasti säilinud. Minu töö ajalise ülempiiri seadis Eesti üks paremini säilinud arheoloogilisi tekstiilileide Parisselja rabast ja asjaolu, et see on dateeritud 15.–17. sajandisse. Uuritud tekstiilileiud pärinevad enamuses maakalmistutest ja peitleidudest. Uurimusest jäid välja keskaegsed linnatekstiilid ja eraldi uurimust vajavad Siksälä matuste tekstiilid. Magistritöö ühe tulemusena sai dokumenteeritud 11.–17. sajandi arheoloogilised tekstiilileiud. Selles tuginesin arheoloogiliste tekstiilide uurimisel tavapäraseks saanud tehnilise analüüsi põhimõtetele, mille põhjal vaatlesin järgmisi omadusi: materjali (lõnga), kanga tihedust, sidusetüüpi, struktuuri, eritunnuseid (servad, alustused, lõpetused) ja viimistlust. Selekteerisin välja informatiivsemad ja paremini säilinud leiud, mille võtsin praktiliste katsetuste juures aluseks. Praktilise töö eesmärgiks oli saavutada leiumaterjalile võimalikult sarnaseid vasteid, kasutades tänapäevaseid materjale ja töövahendeid, et tulemused oleksid teostatavad ka edaspidi. Kõige suuremaks takistuseks praktilise töö juures oli samade omadustega lõngade leidmine. Kuna minu magistriõpingute ajal sai teoks TÜ VKA käsitöö osakonna villavabriku soetamine ja sisseseadmine, siis muutis see paremuse poole ka minu materjali otsingud. Üks olulisemaid tegureid on see, et masinapark võimaldab valmistada siledat poolkammlõnga. Originaalidele sarnaseid tulemusi saavutasin, kui kasutasin kudumiseks siledamat lõnga. Sellise materjaliga tuleb kangastruktuur hästi esile, mis iseloomustas suuresti uuritud originaale. Laiemas perspektiivis on käesoleva uurimuse põhjal plaanis TÜ Viljandi kultuuriakadeemia Vilma villakojas välja töötada kindel sortiment lõngu, millega töö ajalisest raamistusest pärit kangastest koopiaid kududahttp://www.ester.ee/record=b4674402*es

Estonian and Norwegian Sheep Wool as a Textile Material

In Estonia, up to 90% of local wool is not adequately valued, while in Norway, due to the well-functioning wool-buying and -sorting system, a large part of local wool is used purposefully. However, both countries have room for improvement in terms of the better usage of local wool. This article provides an overview of the Estonian-Norwegian wool research conducted in from 2020 to 2023 and its main results. During the study, wool was collected from three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds, semi-worsted yarn was made from it, and knitted and woven fabrics were produced. Wool, yarn, and fabrics were tested in numerous ways. The paper presents the main test results and suggests how wools with a wide range of qualities can be used in innovative ways to create textiles. The smart use of materials is based on the possibilities offered by medium-sized production and knowledge about local wool

12. sajandi lõpu Kukruse „memme“ rõivakangaste rekonstrueerimise lugu käsitöölise vaatenurgast / Reconstructing Fabrics Used in the Clothing of “Kukruse Woman” from the Late 12th Century: a Crafter’s Perspective

This article focuses on the reconstruction of fabrics based on archaeological finds. When a woman’s grave from the late twelfth century AD (Kukruse Burial VI) was unearthed at Kukruse in eastern Estonia, archaeologists involved scientists from various fields in the study of the materials that were found in the grave – from natural scientists to textile researchers. A set of clothing was reproduced from what was found in the “Kukruse Woman” grave.The grave that served as the basis for this study featured plentiful amounts of jewellery and bronze embellishments, but textile remains were extremely scarce. It was for this reason that when it came to weaving the fabrics some reliance had to be placed on other archaeological textile finds that dated back to the same period. The aim was to achieve a visual resemblance to the historic fabric. When weaving the woollen fabrics, use was made of yarn from the wool of an ancient Estonian sheep breed, the native Kihnu type, which was spun in a way that is customary for contemporary woollen mills. In order to obtain the required shade of blue, synthetic dyes were used on the yarn. The tools used met the needs of a modern weaver and increased the efficiency of the work. This article interprets handicraft skills on the basis of the crafter’s personal experience, primarily from a weaver’s perspective. Reconstructing an ancient fabric includes not only reproducing the item itself, but also the process of studying and recreating inherited skills that had since been lost

Estonian and Norwegian Sheep Wool as a Textile Material: Properties and Possibilities for Use Based on the Example of the Wool of Six Sheep Breeds

In Estonia, up to 90% of local wool is not adequately valued, while in Norway, due to the well-functioning wool-buying and -sorting system, a large part of local wool is used purposefully. However, both countries have room for improvement in terms of the better usage of local wool. This article provides an overview of the Estonian-Norwegian wool research conducted in from 2020 to 2023 and its main results. During the study, wool was collected from three Estonian and three Norwegian sheep breeds, semi-worsted yarn was made from it, and knitted and woven fabrics were produced. Wool, yarn, and fabrics were tested in numerous ways. The paper presents the main test results and suggests how wools with a wide range of qualities can be used in innovative ways to create textiles. The smart use of materials is based on the possibilities offered by medium-sized production and knowledge about local wool