I p b ofthp pantry buildin&whichbelongs to W same p b c of occupation. The findshthe Phase 5 passageway farm included a krtibd ~ ~ (dtifarr)c probably k belonging ta a Ghild, cut pi-, b m e d pieces and offcub of d m d . Most of h e materid h d In Phases 1 to 5was analysed by Fendope Walton -S, Her results are presented below. To confirm h pleaenee of imported goods in the medieval phases of the textile assemblage* carbon, niw$en a d (un-wdunpble) hydrogen stable i-pe analysis was d e d out on 21 samples ofwool textile fmm Phases 1-3,hcludhg raw wool wpIes, yarn and hi8hed 40th. Analysis of bone coUagen sample from the site was used to confirm the local range of isotope values, and amhm acid cornpwjtiofi data was e d to aploxe kaatfn diaghesis. The results of thew aitalyses are pubMed separaYeIy.a 5.9.1 Textiles, Pelts and Related Organic Finds Penebpe Walton Bogers T d e fragments were recovered from most phase of the site, Phases 1.1 to 5,2. The past-medieval collection, Phases 4.1-5.1, is the largest, but the twenty-six finds from Phase 2 represent a significant medieval group. In total, 201 separately itemised textiles, representing over 340 individual fragments, have been recorded, together with numerous yarns, cords, raw wool and remains of animal pelts. This is an important collection for the archaeology of Iceland. Textiles have h e n excavated at sites such as Berg~Srshvoll,Heynes and StBra-Borg, but they are relatively few in number and mostly postThe history of the country's textile industry has therefore l a d y been reconstructed from written sources such as Btialugrm and from the decorative textiIes such as embroideries that have survived above- von Hohein et 611. in prep. m Hofffnann 1974,213-1$366. The Main Textile Types The coIIection is dominated by v a h d -1 twjlls, which are the exclusive fabric-type of the early Phases (1.1 to 2.2) and still make a substantial contribution in Phase 53 (Table 8, fig. 99). Tabby-weave textiles of a quality cornparable with the twills enter the assemblage in Phase 3, and patterned narrow wool bands in P& 4. Tagether, these three types almost certainly repment local 'homespund.In Phase 4.1they are joined by knitted goods, which also became m important product of Figure 99.The weave stxuchres of the textiles: (a) tabby, (b) 212 Will, (c) 21 l twill. & Hoffmann 1974,194-226. Since the medieval and post-medieval textile trade formed a significant part of Iceland's econom); this well-dated sequence horn Reykholt provides paraIIeI evidence to t h h~ istorical sources and tangible exampk of the W e s described in the documents. The finds also shed light on aspects of life at the Reykholt farm. Many of the woven pieces are shaped offcuts left over from garment-making, some cut horn new cloth and others from worn-out garments. The fitted goods are also very worn and patched, and it on be argued that this was a mmunity that believed in sensible e m m y where clothing was concerned. Some of the doth was probably produced at the farmstead, since there are some dumps of raw wool and half-sptm yams that must represent spinners' waste, and lengths of warp yam tied with 'weaver's knob'. This is supported by fh@ discovery of spindle whorls (see Chaptet 5.1.21, the handle of a am1 comb, and what may be a shuttle (see Chapter 5.7.3)during the excavatimi. Remains of animal pelts and trimmings from human hair add to the pichm of general domestic &me. Gut$&m~n l%?. TabIe 8: The main textile types by phase p u p . Textiles from Phases 1-3 were identified by IsabeIla von HoIstein. - Tabby Mher* Bands Pelts Knitted Total Phase 2/2twill - 1 1 3 21 (100%) 3 4.1 36 (51%) 2 4.2 -4 5.1 5.2 Uncertain 13 (46%) 26 (39%) l 1 102 - 1 - - '4 5 7 21 9 70 2 2 5 - m - 6 13 (19%) 5 (18%) 20 (30%) 2 * 46 5 l 10 1 - * 10 * l m 17 4 8 22 28 66 5 1 201 'Other' incIudes three unusual textile types and 14 textiZes where the structure could not be identified. Icelandic farmsteads. At the same time, a smdl number of textile-types which are comparablewith textiles found in European towns appear, in Phases 3 to 5.1, and there is a textile (1998-5-055) made of wild silk (fig. 105)- clearly an import - from Phase 5.1.Absent from the collection are hens, which must surely have made up a proportion of the matexiaI originally deposited, Significant13 two textiIes, one silk, the other wool, have missing threads in one system, and it is highly Iikely that the missing component is linen, the addic soils of the site having caused the decay of the pIant-fibre threads. Wo,ol2/2 Will There are 102 examples of 212 twiU (Table 8). They form a broadly homogeneous group, in coarse and medium weights, 4 to 13 threads per cm, with a singe k e example at 16 x l8 threads per an (fig.101).There is very little change in the thread-counts through the Phases (fig. 101).The warp is usually a smooth Z-spun yarn (that is, the spindle must have been rotated cIockwise) and the weft softer, more prone to matting and S-spun. Plied yams were introduced in Phase 4.1 and they are mostly 22s (two-ply 2-spun, S-plied) in the warp, with %pun yam used singly or in pairs in the weft, although there are other spin cornbirrations (Table 9). Mvedgest where present, are simple in construction and d y two, (1988-214-366(i)-(ii, both h r n the same context, have strengthening b d s at the edge. There were no starting borders, but there are three exampIes from Phase 4 (1988-214366(i),1988-214-325 (vi) and 1988-214 &l(xii)) of lower edges where each warp end has been folded, twisted and run back into the weave, to give a neat fringe, 10-12mm deep (fig. 100).Several of the later twills have irregularities in the weave and there are at Ieast two examples of weaving gores, (1998-54M(i) and 1998-5-W4),where extra weft yarn has been darned in during weaving in order to straighten out the line of the weft. The fabrics are all dense and closely woven, and some have been deliberately matfed by fullfng. From Phase 4.1 onwards, the finish c m be so thick tkat the weave is obscured, giving a fabric lilce modem duffel. Naturally toloured fleeces have been used extensive1y within this group. Despite the heavy staining from burial, at x10 magnification, dark and light fibres can be observed together in the same yams, and transmittedhght microscopy (x400 magnification) of a representative sampIe has revealed the presence of pigment granules in the darker fibres. Some twills, such as (1988-214-481(ix)), . ,- S-. - Figure 100,BorCters in the mdmdl W e s : (a) selvedge ( 1 9 & ~ 2 1 4 -(b) ~ ~binge , (1983-214-481(xii)), (c) selvedge and h g c (1988-214-366(i)) I@Angl@Swonlrtbotatofy), will have been 06ginally a uniform dark brownlblack, but mast are a mixture of brown and white or black and white fibres, which will have given different shades of fawn and grey. The warp yarn (where warp and weft can be discerned, the Zspun system represents the warp) is ohm darker than the weft, which causes the diagonal wale of the twill weave to be emphasised in the non-matted fabrim. Since the warp-weft dserence is obscured by the matted finish in the heavily fulled fabrics, it can be argued that this was not an intentional pattern effect, but rather a result of a specific method of processing the wool prior to spinning (see below). Early examples a£ these types of twill appear at the Viking port of Haithabua and in Viking-influenced places such as York, where they are recognwd as Scandinavian in origin.= They continued to k the standard fabric-type of the Late Norse communitie5 d the North Atlantic: they have been found in suhtmtid numbers in the Greenland s&ements,M and make up 212 twills: thread-counts by phase 18 I 16 m 14 f2 A 1 a theory ~ I that I , se ~amwen m m likely h a a p ~ ~ q n o f t b ~ e x t f l e s b r ar r ~GS ~~ ~~ ~ Q site in Idand it&. site'w%&,hbMyt h e s a w dak-zahgemd a'simaat: The aeyIchalt aampIes &no& *y represent ratige 6f textile types W Reyh1t.t" Tlg us% d haattrally in Icelandic m m . VuB& fie t&W termed colaured wmIs b andthe 8eew of the was d&d as early as the eleventh aRd twelfth primitive b M of v a t i & b d sheep af he No& oeaturieg as 'Mtisok..,bi3kqfp that is, 'W eXls [wide] Atlantic mpe.e&i intensive s W y uf t bW& US& for and &re&&.w The km ~ * t W@ used because warp and mk in Late MO* &@S hmG w M the w ~ ~ t loom e required d only three M& inclimtiad that a &@leEhce was king broken up and d s to &mrnpbsh a 2 j 2 twill, in cpntrat with the processed in sudi a way .that bvr m m efri b s , which harizmtal tgam whkh &ed fow shah.,Ethid was areusuaBy thed&ketones, ilouldb M f p r the used as w n c y fur m w a l centuriestand was+n&Ze warp and , & ~ s ~ ~u en d. er& d fbr @iew&.w Ireinndic expart: in the medkvd per%& which is why It WM argued that his ww pmbably accomplhh& with WeFe SO COKlmrned Mkh the @&ti~n Wdi%%L an ancestor pf Q e XC&&E 't% m€+ d s d e d by ofits qu4ity .and price, Xt continued Ea l& produed in Table 9. v2 twills. Phase Number . 1.1 . Spin Threadcount Finish ZxS 8x8 Border Sfitchlng Comments -. 2001-26-031 ovemn no edge stitched Z 2000-6-26811(i) 2000-6-2081llii) zma&zoa / l(iii) no 20OM-208/l(iv) wear 2000-6-2081 I(v) 2M04-20812li) zxs matted one face matted one face wear m At least two layers. no At Ieast two Iayers. no At least two layers. no Strong W&, dark Z. At IeasP twolayers. One exampIe of paired as. At least two layers. matted matted, ?wear hemmed, z2S matted one face matted one fa& no simple reinbrced selvedge slightly matted, p r o b a b l y ~ i One edge, cut and folded. ?3rim@r frapent. Fringe: warp m back into the weave. domed Offcut with jagged edges. Warp d a r k wear xxlmx $r fringe xxlxxx ZXS Zxs selvedge- - - - than the weft. no Erregdzuities in weave. Phase Number Spin Threadcount Finish Border Stitching Comments Z2S system dark brown, S system light brown glossy yarn. mxs 10x 11 ZxS 12 X 10 12x12 no matted: ?wear no ZxS 9x5 no 1988-21Wl(vii) ZxS 11x6 no 4.1 1988-21$-481(viii) ~ 4.1 198&214481(ix) Z2SxS2Z 4.1 1988-214-481(~) Z2SxS 4.1 1988-214-481 (vi) 4.1 x S 8x9 12 x10 4 Z darker than S.Looped knot in Z-spun system. Offcut. Z E combed wooI, darker than S. Z darker and more glossy than S. 22$ slightly darker than the S. no wear xx 8x7 matted: ?wear l 8 X 16 no Dark brown wooI; slightly matted, probably from wear. The fold has been stitched closed, but difficult to view the sewing thread. Tattered. The weave is distorted (possibly deliberate). Narrow offcut strip. Frin e, 12 m m long: where returns into e weave. Several tattered fragments. fringe L Poorly preserved. Dark Z2S and light Z+Z. Poorly preserved. Compacted pad. Poorly preserved. Poorly preserved. Ragged fragment. 5x4 12-13X 10 no slightly matted 10-12x 10 xx Glliptical offcut. One system dark combed, other pa1w softer. Triangular offcut. One system darker hother. Poorly presemed. TrianguIar offcut. simple selvedge Z2SxS+S Z2ss Z2Sx522 Six fragments, combed-wool. Zxs Cut m two sides. zxs stitching 6-7X 6 slightly matted 10x lOprs no Several d i h m t stitching induding backstitch. One fragment slightly matted, probably from wear. Sehedge Glossy Phase Number Spin Threadcount Finish 4.2 I98%214-317(ii) Z2SxS 4.2 198&214-320 ZlSxS-tS 10 X 8-9 9 x8prs 4.2 1988-214-321 waZ2SxS Border Stitching CQmmenfs xx l xxx no - 7x5 wear - - simple selv - - overcast edge, - p Matted prob. from wear. Overcast stitching. DaraIight fibres in warp and moderate in weft (prob. grey X combed, Z2S / 1.5mrn brown). Simple selvedge. 4.2 1988-214-325/2(iii) Z16 ?X? 4.2 1988-214-32514(i) ZxS 19%-21&325/Q(ii) 2% 7x6 4.2 - -, x x / xxx I 7x 4 5 'm no wear broken stitches I 4.2 4.2 1 9 8 ~ - 2 1 ~ ~ / 4 ( izxs ii) 198B-214-325/4(iv)ZxS -. 7x7 7x5 -11- - wear wear - ' - Full details could not be recorded. Prob. originally grey Z and white S. Matted on one facerprob. from wear. Curving edge with remains ofs t i t h n g . xx looped fringe Sspun slightly matted. SlightIy matted on one face, probably from wear. Offcut.Fringe: 223 yams s e w n back into fabHc. Very matkd, probably from fullin% no very worn. k l s e l y woven, 2.0mm thick. Offcut strip cut rm &e diagonal. h'ap on one face, possibly originally both but worn away. Wedgeshaped offcut. Felting could be wear or fulling, Wedge-&aped offcut. Felting could h wear or f u b g . Offcut. Natural pign-tent m both but mast in 22s. Offcut. Triangularoffcut. Some natural pigmnt in 22s. Matted, possibly from wear. Both warp and weft only loosely plied: possibly pairs S+S. Natural pigment in both. Triangular offcut. Malted probably fulIed; 2mm thick. Matted, possibfy from we= Two tattered fragments. waZxS matted 7-8 X 6 ?waZxS 7x6 matted open seam; Offcut frum a garment. Stitch ~ s e in d open seam not clear, but thread is pair Zsl0.8nun /combed wool. simple Weaving gore. Slight felting,probab1:selvedge from wear. ?selvedge overcast edge, combed, Wear on crowns of weave. Z2Sll.Omm Phase Number Spin Threadcount Finish 10 X 9 9x9 Border Stitching no Smooth, regular weave. Slighted matted on otte face, probably front wear matted one face 9x8 m 9x7 nn 9x7 Comments At least one weaving gore. Felted on one face from wear. Light and dark fibres (pigment) in both systems*but mast inZ2S. Triangularoffcut. matted on one face broken stitch, Z2SI 2.0mm close to edge. Tattered and very matted, probably v@'T fiom w e . matted xx selvedge wear simple selvedge stitdhing ZS.ll.0- Offcut incorporating selvedge (structure not clear), Heavile matted, probably f u l l 4 2.6mm thick. Folded into flat tube,B m h stitches along edge and fold. l .2mm no Tattered.Natural pigment in both yarrts, most in 2. Finish: X = lightly fdled, xx = heady fulled, xw; = possibly teaselled, xxlxxx = teaselled and sheared. the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, although it was of less commercial importance by that time, and in the eighteenth century it came urtder competition from the products of the newly introduced horizontal ('Danish') loom.* Although it is likely that all the Reykholt M l s have had some form of fulling, !he heavily matted fabrics do not appear until Phase 4.1 (sixteenthcentury), which is shortly after fulhg entered the regulations in 1460. The introduction of plied yarn, also in Phase 4.1, may have been a response to the need for a stronger fabric to withstand the fulfing process. It has previously been suggested that the finer fabrics called ' s m f d m d l ' in dmments from the end of the fourteenth to the nineteenth century were made with plied yarn,*' and a plot of thread-countsin twills shows that the plied p u p were indeed on average finer than the single group, although there was considerable overlap between the two types (fig.102). Tabby-Weaves Comparable with the Va&nBl 'ftvUIs At least seven tabby-weave textiTes have the same densely woven appearance and the same use of naturally pigmented wools as the ~alrmdlMS, althoughnone has been Wed to any great extent (Table 10). They have the same ZxS or Z2SxS spin as the Wills, and one has a weaving gore (1998-5-048(vi]). They first appear in Phase 4,l (sixteenthcentury).The warp-weighted Ioom requires only one heddle rod for tabt,~and the emergence of tabby weaves at Reykfiolt coincideswith the appearance of the term 'einskepf~',first recorded in a documentary source of 1504YsIt seems unlikely that the early Icelandic weavers did not know how to produce the very simple 212 twills: thread-counts and spinlply, all phases A A A I A & A A - A T A I A + A m 7 threads per cm Figure 102.Twills ZS and plied. tabby weave on their looms, but perhaps it: did not form a significant part of their w o ~ cloth l output bkfare the sixteenth century. According to the written sources, it had less commercial d u e than the v d d twills. Tabby-Weaves of Other Types Other wool textiles woven in tabby are of a different character (Table10).They are soft, often quite lightweight, are always made with single yam, usually spun S X S, or sometimes Z X S, and they must have been teaselled and sheared, since they have a smooth, even nap unlike the rough surface seen in the u a d d . Those examined by microstopy of the fibres proved to have been made from white wool, and some have hints uf blue and red dyes visible under the brown staining.Sweral have bald patches in the nap, which indicates that they have seen considerable wear. There me others which do not have the nag, although they are of the same general quality. They indude an example, (20004-130),Phase 3, where an occasional S-spun yarn appears at intervals of 1 6 21 threads in the 2-spun system of a Z X S tabby. It is possible that the y a m were origudy dyed a different colou, which would have given the fabric a flecked appearance. The textiles with a teaselled and sheared nap are the products of specialist artisans, and there are numerous examplesfrom maidand Europe. Many havebeen found in Britain, where they are regarded as the products of professionnl doh-workers, traded on the open marketm Similar textiIes have been recorded in m 1 1 numbers on Shetland, where they were classed as traded goods, probably Eman EnglandIWand t h y do not appear to be particularly W& represented among the medie\-a1 and post-mediwd textiles from Oslo."' The earliw Waltun 1981; 1983;1991, 330-332.Gowfoot et d. 1491, CA-. Walton Rogers 1999,200-202. KjeIlbefg 1979;1981, Figwe IM.A M o n ofstandard textile types (a) 2 / 2 twill (19.88-214236) with selvedge on left side; (b) t h e 212 twirls selected from (1988-214-481);(c) tab* weaves selected &-m1 1 9 8 8 - 2 ~ 1Id) ~ ;tabby weave 0988-214-3.17) Anglo-5amntaborawryl. examples at Reykholt are therefore likely to be imports from Britain or mainland Europe, although it is less easy to be certain of the origin of some d the later pieces, The horizontal born was introduced into Idand in about 1750 (Phase5 at R ~ y k h o l t )and , ~ ~it~ is not impossiblethat ofher specialist technology was introduced at the same time. Worsted Twills One offcut from Phase 5.1, (1998-5-048(xv)),represents a fabric-typefound in English towns in the late fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth c e n k z r i e ~ .It~ has ultra-fine, smooth Z-spun wool (worsted) yams in warp and weft and has been woven in 2 / 2 H I , but with one system set wider apart than the oher, with 24 X 70 threads per cm. These fabrics mimic satin, and are thought to represent the response of weavers in NorthwestEurope to imported silk satins, During the first half of the sixteenth century, the technique of weaving true satin arrivedin Northwest Europe and the imitation satins become less common in the archaeological record, although there have h e n Table 10. AII tabbies Phase Findsno Finish Stitching Comments 3.2 2000-6-130 S P ~ Zxs 3.3 1989-33-380 sxs 3.3 1989-33-380 SXS 3.3 1989-33-380 S S 3.3 1989-33-380 SXS no 3.3 1989-33-380 ?SS XXX Offcut, with irregularly cut edges. 4.1 19862143fi sxs XX 2x5 XXX Three cut strips, 7-9mm wide. Offmt. Grey-brown (?blue).Fabric 1 . 5 m thick. Patch on knitted item (qv). Fabric 1.8 m m thick. Ragged fragment, probably originalIy a stitched tube, 15mm wide. Broken stitches along edges. Offcut.Truncated overcast edge c. 3 stitches per un.[import?] Offcut, with jagged edges, previouslystitched. [import?] One c w i n g cut edge has remains of stitching, c. 3 stitches per cm. 4.1 1988-214-681(ii) 1988-21MBl(G) Occasional S in Z system. Irregular shape with some short cut dogs Rectangular offcut. z2S1 hem, 2-3stitches per m. XXX ZXS stitched Z2slO.S SxS overtrast, Z2S10.7 - - P9&214-#1(xiv) overcast, m/o.s overcast, Z2S 10.8 SimiIar to Ixviii), but closer weave. matted: Iwear 1?8&21~1{Xxo() m x s 2000-&76 W7 ZxS 1989-33-133(i) waZxZ matted Slightly matted, probably kom wear. 1988-214-317(i) m x S no Dark & light fibres in 22s. 298S-214-325f 2(v) ZXS XXXX 1.7mm thick. Ragged twist of textiIe. Tdangular o h t . Fabric Q . 8 mthick. 'stit* Z2S/ 1.Smm 1988-214-325/4(viii) Z2SxS Offcut ship. Heavily matted, Tattered. 1989-33210(i) Z2SxZX NatumI pigmented fibres both yams. 1989-33-2101iii) 2x5 Offcut. Black - ?naturalpigment. 1998-501213) SxS 199&5W(iil ZxS 199&5446(iii) SxS Offcut strip, 30mm wide, cut on diagonal Moderatedense pigmentation in fibres. Offcut, probably from an old garment TeaseIled and sheared, nap worn art-a!- . in pkces. Phase F i n d s na Spin -- Thxeadcorrnt Finish 5 s 10 X 10 xx / xxx Stitching Comments -Curved offcut. M a i n 1 soft-finished, & possibly teaselled and eared. Small weaving gore. One patch of felting, probably Erom wear. Lightly teaselled and sheared. Remains of a seam, represented by a band of we1Istitch holes preserved nap 8mdi wide dong cut edge and occasional stitch hole. broken TeaselIed and sheared. Two parallel cut edges, 1 5 m apart. combed xxx matted XXXX Wedge-shapd offcut. Teaded and sheared, 1.5mrn thick Slightly repp-like.Soft-finished 1.4rnm thick Wedge-shaped offcut. Teaselled and sheared. Offcutfrom gamtent.Teaselled and stitch holes sheared, l . 7 m thick, but nap worn away in pIaces. Stitch-holes in groups of three. Matted, probably from hrlling,but evidence for wear as well. Curving offcut. 1 . 5 m thick Repp-like. B l u w fibres: ?dye. One system an silk, other alternates 2 silk with B missing yarns, assumed to be linen. Vexy tattered with wear on crowns of weave. no l.Om XXX/XXXX Offcut strip 7mm wide. ROWof dark bmwnstitching. strip 7mm wide. Teaselled and sheared, 1 . 3 m thick. &t Thin offcut strip. 1 . 5 mW&. xxxx Finish: x = lightly fulled, xx = heavily fulled, xxx = possibly teaseIIed, xx/ xxx = teaselled and sheared some examples from Newcastle in northern England dated to the third quarter of the ~venteenthcenturym Fine worsted textiles ofthis sort were probably relatively valuable. Another piece, from Base 4.1, (198&214481(i)]), is similar, but it has missing threads, assumed to be linen, in one system, It was probably woven in 2 / 1 rather than 212 twill and its thread-count is lower than in the first exampIe, at 4 X 39 threads per cm. It is diicuit to k d exact parallels in the European material but it probably belongs in the same general category as the satin-effect twill. WiId Silk Textile A third textile (1998-5-055) from Phase 5.1 is a genuine exotic. It is made of silk in tabby weave, with 34-36 threads per cm in one direction and 28-30 in the other, the silk yarn being reeled without twist (fig. 105). It has missing threads, assumed to be linen, in one direction, in a regular pattern of two silk followedby six missing. The silk is not the usual cultivated silk found in European excavations, but a wild silk. When the filaments are viewed at x4Od mapfication, they prove to be flat and Fdts ribbon-like with dear parallel lines or striatiom. These compare closely with examples of silk from the Eria and Atlas silk moths, which are found in Assam and in neighbouring states.* They are similar to tussah silk, but two samples of tussah silk examined by the author were substantially finer than the Eria/ Atlas specimens. The Reykholt example is closer to the ErialAtlas silks in fibre diameter. It is possible that one of the East India trading companies brought these goods into northern Europe, and that they were then taken northwards to Sevenexamplesoffelt made from n~n-~igrnenkd wool were recovered from Phases 4.142(the &@mhj seventeenth century). Felt is made by compdng mw fibre into a thin, dense layer, and it was used fw-sia sorts of purposes, although the hatting indwdq was the greatest ~onsurner.~Rough felts canbe made by anyone, but these pieces, which are mostly narrow trimmed-off stxips, I to 3 mm thick, with one late example 4 mm thick, have the smooth, wen appearance of pmfessiDnal products. Flanders and EngIand were producing fe1ts for trade in the late medieval period, but the history of €he post-medieval industry does not appear to have been fully reviewed. Iceland. N m w Bands .,,. Figure 104. Textile, nap, probably imports. Top to bottom: 1988-214325;2000-B-063(i)(@AngIoSaxonLaboratory). Figure 105.Wild silk tabby with missing threads, 1998-5 055 (O Anglo-Saxon Laboratory). Based on s a m les held in the Whitworth Art Gallery and examined th. author by the murteay of Frances Prikhard, iy Three narrow woven bands were found in the same floor area in Phase 4.1 (1988-214-481),and two more in a pit fill in Phase 4.2 (1988-214-325).Two were tablet-woven, three were tabby-woven, and all were woven with p m Z2S wool yarn in warp and weft. Four of the five were patterned in natural wool colours (fig. 106) One of the tablet-woven examples, (1988-214-481 H), is 360 mm long, but it has been torn Iengthways and its present width of 20 mm is not complete. It has ben worked on a minimum of seven tablets (the square plaw used to rotate the warp yarn during weaving) using 4 hole tablets, except for the outermost tablet which was threaded with only two warp yarns. The tablets have been threaded alternately left and right, except for the end one, which gives Z S Z S m cords (reversed part way through the fragment for SZSZSZZ). The tablets have been threaded in three colours: tablet 1 (2-hole)= 2 dark brown; tablet 2 = 4 light brown; tablets 3,4,5,6 = 1 light brown, 1 mid brown, 2 dark brown, colours exactly aligned on adjacent tablets; tablet 7 = 4 dark brown. The tablets have been turned regularly in quarter--, so that there is a simple repeatinggeometric pattern. Beck I&%, 124-126;Walton 1981,201. The second tablet-woven band, 481(ii), is 13 tablets and 12 mm wide and has been worked on 4-hole tablets rotated regularly. The tablets have been threaded from one side, apart from one end tablet, so that the cords trvist S i Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z , reversing to ZSSSSSSSSSSS, Of the 13 tablets on which it has been woven, tablets 5 and 9 have been b d e d with a pale yarn, in contrast with the dark yarns in the other tablets, resulting in two thin light lines on a dark bruwn background. A plain warp-faced tabby-weaveband, 48l(iii), 5.5 mm wide was found with these two tablet bands. One of the tabby-woven bands from 13251 is 26 mm wide, and again patterned by the use of different shades ofcolour in the warp. The warp is:16light, I dark, l light, 1 dark, 4 light?2 ginger, 4 light, 1 dark, 1 light, I dark, 16 light. The s W n g edge is present and it has dosed loops 4 mm long. The second band, 325(ii),is 23 mm wide and worked on four different colours in the warp: 1 dark, 1 light, 1 mid, 1 light, I dark, 2 very light, 6 light, 2 very light, l dark, l 1ghh l dark, l light, 1 dark. This gives simple repeating geometric patterns. Scandinaviahad a long history ofproducing beautiful and immensely complex tablet-woven bands. They \+-ere probably prestige objects, and would have taken a considerable amount of time to make. The Reykholt examples represent the less valuable end of the spectrum,and can be compared with two tenth-century wool tablet bands from womenss graves at Reykjasel and K e t i l ~ t a a i r .The ~ tenth-century examples were decorative borders stitched to garments, and that may have been the case with the long torn band (1988-214481(i)) and (1988-214-325/ 2(i)),which has remains of stitching, but the others may have been gixdles or some form of lacing for garments or hair. Knitted Goods There are 22 examples of k n w i from Phases 4.1,4.2 and 5.1 (Table 11). They are worked in stocking stitch (alternating rows of knit and purl), in 2-ply wad, apart Figure 106.Narrow woo1 bands. From Ieft to right, patterned warp-faced tabby from 1988-214-325Ii); (upper) tablet weave with lengthways stripes from 1988-214481(i); (lower) patterned warp-faced tabby from 1988214-325(ii);narrow band of plain warp-faced tabby from 1988-214-481(iii);folded length of pattered tablet weave from 1988-214-481(i)(0Anglo-Saxon Laboratory). from one piere where there was an area of 3-ply, (19985-112).The yarn is mostly 2-plied, but five examples from Phase 5.1 are S-plied, in contrast with the weaving yarn which is mostIy S-plied and only occasionalfy Zplied. The tension (the number of stitches and rows per 10 cm)ranges from 20-24 stitches X 30-40rows to 45-50 stitdws X 70 rows. The pieces are all heavily worn, but shaping can be observed on some of them, Fragment (1988-214-481 (iii)) from Phase 4,lwas probably the end of a mitten: it is made up of two pieces stitched together at one side and joined at the top by grafting together the two elements, stitch-and-stitch,and then casting off on needles from the Stbra-Borg excavationa suggest that they could have been knitted on four rides in the round, although the mittea (if it is a mitten) fragment from Reykholt has a side seam and could have h knitted on a pair of single-ended needles. Off cuts, Repairs and NeedIeworlc Many of the fragments have been cut in angular or F curving shapes which indicate that they are waste horn W Figure 107. Fragment of hitting 198%2144T(iii), p m bably a mitten. (@ Anglo-Saxon Laboratory). the inside (fig, 207). The side edges have been knitted with a reverse stitch at the end of the purl row, and then sewn together. Bath these techniques can be found today in modern Scandinavian knitting patterns, but are rare, for example, in Britain. Another fragment, (1988-21448l(ii)), has a line of decreasing, resembling the armhole orneckline shapingon a sweater.Atkird piem, (1988-214481(iv)), Phase 4.1, is a strip patterned in natural wool colours, with a horizontal row of mid-brawn lozenges on an origindIy white or near-white background (fig* 108).4$8 Knitting was reportedly introduced into Iceland by English or Geman mer&ants in a b u t 1578,459and knitted goods rapidy overtook vadrndl in imfhortancg in the export trade.& Knitted items fxom other excavations include a mitten from St6ra-Borg probably dated to the first half of the sixteenth century; fragments of a mitten and a sock from seventeenth-century Bergbdrshvoll; two socks from St6ra-Borg dated to c. 1650-1750; and some 'damask' pabm hitting from Stdra-Borg from the second half of the seventeenth century.1161 They are all worked in stockingstitch, and the double-endedhitting * See a h GuSlj6nsson 199213-14. m Ryder 2983,W. Hoffmann 1874,224-225. *' GuBjdnsson39927-14. (1988-214366), a triangular segment incorporating a selvedge and fringe (fig. 100 c), appear to be new, unused fabrics. Most, however, have clear signs of wear on the crowns of the weave and have truncated seams and hems, indicating that they have been cut from oId garments. Fragment (1998-5-046(i)),for example, appears to be the whole of the seam area cut out of the garment. Seams and hems have been worked in a variety of techniques. Backstitch is present in (2000-6-147); an ordinary hemming stitch in (1989-33-380); raw edges have been overcast in (1988-214-321), (1998-5-048(ii)) and (1988-21Ul(xiv)-(x~]); and there are broken stitch= indicating stit* on several other fragments. In one piece of knitting, (1988-214-481 (ii)), stitching marks out the rectanguIar outline ofwhat must have been a repair patch, and on (1988-214481(ii)) a small textile patch was stiII in position on the inner face. The sewing yarn in all these pieces is made from combed wool or hair, which is usualIy plied, ZZS, 0.8-2.0mm diameter, but is sometimes just two single 2-spun yarns; in some instances the yam is darker or lighter than the textile it is stitching. Fleece, Yarns and Spinners' Waste Some pads of fibre that included intact tufts of raw wool were recovered (fig. 109).Sheepskin can be distinguished horn cut fleece by the presence of fibre roots and remains of decayed skin adhering to them: there were fragments of a dark brown lambskin (2001-26-76 (ii)) from P k v Figure 108. Fragment of patterned hitting 198&21$-481(iv).Above, knit face, below purl face (OAnglo-Saxon Laboratory). -saldmxa pquad~d-uoup m pquadyd m amtp 0% Xlcilssod 9 ~ S!.4(68HIZ-886I)~ ~ I I Q W T ~ 'TOOM U X apem ~ ilpsour a n Law -unu 0.0~oq 0-1u r y pa%m~ sxalamu ' Z S ~ ' S ~ ' S(p- Ja)ppp E 203 xaqwSo~~ ! M s pJ m pagd) pqqm uaaq pay auos p m P 'JPy Sprz PUV SOIZ'SSZ 'm'SW 'S= 'm pm unds AlsnoyE~a r a spros ~ pm s m d payid a y 'qoqqha qv aw u! lmny 30 u o w q ay3 ~ o y ol s JWPI pw3w E p u ~ fspmqs 30 Jaqunnu qwaxdar $9 an%g F Aq paMauoj ' s p w ~ ps e q atp 30 qds 30 uopa5p a* av gwm!pu! (S.TO Z) JWal ' q v[ e ~ f 10i sgsaurop 03 Otquap~j-qeq p m %~yqqwuueS u o q 'sesn 10 ~aqmnuLUE p ~ ayn y A m 1% @ t!qy .uog~agu3~ux mpx aw U! pua aAa paqeu a* W aIqs!a 'ssaqsjo s&!s *of Otou PnpWs E q W aAWe PW!!aP fo sl@qaV sc ('18HTZ-8861)I T ~ awqd uy .IOOT~a w s a q uroy 9 q n a ~ s a y d a $seal S: 4 q u m uq s q ~ ayl d 'aqs ay3 p s a q d I@warf papo~ar waq sey sp;ros pm s u e d paqd raw0 jo hguenb v *al!s: s g $P 8 u p o a ~q u r ~ dpaild p asn aqq s q ~ p a dq! S& *uys auy JO ' p e w Samm ~uasada 0 9 Atam: muf s! (%0-9~-0002) Z.1 a q d uroy u ~ p~a ~d~$0d11.02 O u o 01 ~ uraas '@WW apt^ $nq 3 u p e a ~pue 3quqds moq qsem p s a f d w 1 a t p - q jwsadax oq lipy~~am 'salgxa~a q WEX a 9 unu C, PUP UIw SI '((F) & ~ ) R E ~ ' I Z - # ~ I ) PUe ((IFI)S9E-B'IZ -8861) tq d u J q % ~ 1 d PWx3s-a- $0 said-W a~q~mdmds-alws 30 s@uq a q -21 ~ aTqE.1; q paswag uaaq a n ~ sy p a w pagd pm swed as007 e plauaS a m s a q *(h - ~ a o qu q o m g o l 3 q ~w ) d unds pm IQOM 11;1-9-000~(p) 'qdw 1 0 0LVI-9-0002 ~ (3)* a ~ d ~ s loo& (ln)08€-€£-6861 (9)!W$P'I mo.19 3JeP ~!!)9L0-92-~002 (E) I: .- U g.:? .I . ' , MW '40'1d i d Table 11. hitting Phase Number Conshction 'pfa Stitches per 10cm Rows per IO cm stacking stitch 4.1 1988-214-366 4.1 4.7 198&214&l(i) 1 8 i 4.1 1988-21Wl(iv) stocking &it& 2000-6-145 stocking stitch 198933-133Ci) stocking stitch 1988-214325/ 1(i) s t o w stitch ) 25-30 s & h g stitch stockjng stitch Stitching Comments - - - p - SO Tattered.Twolayers stitched together. Shaping in top pair Zs layer. ?stitchingZ Tattered. stitching Line of demasing stitches. ZZS / l . O m Stitching: outline of rectangular repair patch. sezlm, pair Probably part of a mitten 210.7 or hat.Top edges grafted together. Textile patch. Patierned h dark and light stitched Y-. 4.1 4.1 Several tattered kagments, Pwrly preserved remairls of cast-on or cast-off edge. 19SS-214325/ l(ii) stocking stitch Matbed from wear. 198&214-325/1(iii) stocking stitch Shaping (reguhr decrease). 1988-22432511(iv) stacking stitch 1988-214-325/2(iv) sto* stitch stitching Z2Sl OBmm stocking stitch stitching 22S/1.5m 1989-33-169 ~toddngstitch 1989-33-225(i) stacking s t i t d ~ 1989-33-35ai) stocking stitch 5.1 19893-35(ii) s t d h g stitch ZaS 3S 5.1 198933-056 !&ckingstitek Z2S 30 5.1 1998-5-037 stocking stitch S-plied 25 5.1 199&5037Iii) skkhgstitch 522 20-24 5.1 1998-5-109 stocking stitch SZ 30 5.1 1998-5-112 Btockingstitch Z2S+BS 25 Cut edge and single #wing stitch. Two tattered fragments. 356 tonsists of several tattenxi fragments of kmincluding at least two different types. Gnimal pelts As well as the two f r a p e n b of sheepskin, described abtye, there are at least eight examples of pelts from other speaes, with fibre roots and traces of skin attached. The Felted, probably h m wear. Irregular tension m d irregular spin. Worn and stretched out of shap. Cast-on edge followed by hyarowsknit. species identification has been based on the shape and length of the staple (the intact lock of fibre), the range of fibre diameters, their pigmentation, the mss-sectional Table 12.Yarns and cords. Material from Phases 1-3was identified by IsabeIla von Holsfein. Phase - Spin Diameter Comment darkbrown S (m% ) Z (a few! 2.-m brown 225 1.5-2.0mm Wt.O.2g Nth w q u n tufts of same fibre. Knots. bfuegreen S 0.7-12mm Dye? yellowish dark brown reddish brown brown-black S, loose spin 2.0-5.0m 3.0rnn-d 5.omm 6.0mrn 'English knots'. mixed (5g weight) 95mm mid brown light brown 95m baU of yam grey-brown pale brown I -0-1.3mm 3-strand plait, 4-6 15mm 5 in each strand 8-10mm s m z 0.8mm f 988-214-481(i) black loose Z, variable 1988-214-481(ii) mid brown z20"-3 *0 rl.0mm 1988-214-481(iii] mid brown tight, Z 50 " I.Omm 198&214-481(iv) Iight brown z, 40" 1.Omm Very even. 1988-214481(v) mid brown Z, variable 1.0-2.h Irregular, 198&214-#1(vi) darkklight dark&Iight a s , 300-400 1.0-1.2mm Z2S, variable 0.8-2.0m Combed. Combed 2 knotted together Number Colour Longest - 36mm f .l .. 522,30°-40' S22,W z14s - Several weavers' knots. Z2S folded. Wrapped around 38x32 x 2 7 m folded textile. 2 knotted together. (several e.gs). 1.5mm light brown mid brown mid brown dark brown brawn dark, mid &light Z.0-4.0mrn 1 . 0 ~ light brown light, mid & dark dark greyish l.hm 15m 2 hotted together. Six knotted, possib1y broken loops. Knokted loop with loos ends. 3.0mm mid-light brown light brown brown Z =S, 40" 2.5mm brown S2Z, 40" mid-dark brawn S2Z,30" 2.52Omm light brown SZZ, 30" 1.5mm O.Sl.2nn Several, l w t ls0mm. Also fl0mm, with a k n m d loop. lengths, knobled togetha Phase Number hugest Colaw Spin 22Om mid brown S, h & 2 0 h mid brown 225,30" Diameter spin Cammwf 1,M0mm 2.D-2.5m 9 1 ~ as (mv)but:more irregular and with hots, broken and re&& 190 & 1 4 0 m mid brown Z4S, 200 3.0mm 120mm light tdark 235,400 2.Omn-1 180mm dark brown ball of wool yarn, brown S31m.m diameter 190 Br 1 7 h rnid h w n 2 6 30" 2- Z h 0.Bmm Z 0.8mm S 2,hm Z S Z , $0" 3.0mm Wrapped mound folded W l e . teased-wt mid brown wool strands with barely any twbst: probably spinner's waste. Both have an overhead 26s irregdar 2.0mm hot at one end. 90&7Vmm dcuk brown dark h m fight brown black-bm 0% Small bundle of lorrsely %pun yams, irregular diameter 32mm sEhnm middark brawn SZ, 6P 5 . h light brown S2Z, $0"-5P 2.Qmm light brown dark & light XO-3.Omm dark % light Z2S, 50" Z3S"50" E5XZT:, 280 b k & light ZZS, 4P light bundle of 2% light S,40" misceIImus Zand S y a m , all <l.Omm diameter. 125mm light brown brown 20-2.5mn l%mler&s. 4.0mm One 22s folded htwa. 4.ISmm Possibly remains of a hank of yam 0.8m Z2S 2.0m 7.0m brown 3-strand plait Ea&sttarrd=3S SZZ $Smm darkbrown sr 3-4mm mid-dark brown 5 2.0mm &&h brown Z2S, 30°-40' O.&l . h m midbrown SZ,40" 4.0mm mid brown S 5-6mm B& have m overhwd knot at one md. Resin at one end. Probably goat. Splaying out into raw fibre. Fine wool. ~ shape and the cuticular scale pattern. They have been compared with fibre atlases such as Wildman 1954 and Appleyard 1978, and the author's colledon of modem samples. Detailed descriptions of the observations have been recorded in a catalogue placed in the site archive. The pelts mostly proved to be from domesticated animals. There was a white calf hide, (2001-26-046) from Phase 2; possible brown1black cattle hide, (200126-076 (i)) and a dark brown lambskin, (2001-26-076(ii)) also from Phase 2; a brown skimlet sheepskin, (20006-139) and remains of two possible cattIe hides, both brown, (1989-33-380(ii)) and (2000-6-124) from phase 3; and more brown cattle hide, (198933-113)and same diaggregated fibres from a horse taiI or mane, (1989331191,from Phase 5.1.These contrast with the wild speaes, bear, bison, caribou, musk ox, wolf and fox that were identified in the late Norse site of GArden under Sandet in the Western SeHement in GreenIand.Q65 The Western Settlement may have been involved in the fur trade, but there is no evidence for this from Reykholt. There were also some cut Iocks of human hair from Phase 5.1. It was brunette and had a slight natural I I wave. Conclusion The sequence of textiles from Reykhdt shows a remarkable degree of correlation with the Icelandic written sources, Although the documentary evidence is largely concerned with the regulation of goods used as currency and for export, it is clear that the textiIes used in a farmstead such as Reykh01t were following the same pattern of development. The reliance on plain vadrndl twills in the early phases, the rise of very heavy fulling and the use of pIied yarns, are all features that emerge in the documents at the same time as they appear in the excavated textiles. The influx of foreign goods and the arrival of the craft of knitting also demonstrate congruence between the historical and archaeological sources. Appleyard in Walton Rogers 2998,n-2. The finds are typical domestic refuse Erom a busy farmstead.Textjles were evidently being spunand rr.o\-m at the site and the products ofthe looms were coarse and medium cloths. There is little that ~votddbe regarded as high status and the frequent re-use oi old garments shows a common-sense approach to dothing although from Phase 4.1 onwards there are a few more fashionable imported pieces entering the coIIection.As a whole, the finds from ReykhoIt allow comparison rvith a similar sequence of finds from the twelfth century onwards at Papa Staur, Shetland. Although technically a royal Norwegian farm, the excavated material - as at Reykholt -reflected farm Me down the ages, rather than the status of the owner.