Textile production in classical Athens
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Textile production in classical Athens
（Ancient textiles series, no. 27）
Oxbow Books, 2016
- : hardcover
Note
Derives from author's PhD thesis titled L'activité textile en Attique (Ve et IVe siècles avant notre ère); jointly conducted at Sorbonne University, Paris (Paris IV) and Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, and completed in 2013
Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-228) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Textile technology is older than any other ancient craft and is an instance of cognitive archaeology that provides vital information about society. In ancient Greece, textiles were considered among the principal and most fundamental cultural expressions. Athena, the goddess of the city, of intelligence and of skill was also the patron goddess of weaving. She taught the craft of textile production to women thus making them conduits of civilisation. During Classical times, textile production was a fundamental part of the economy and was practised also by men in both the domestic and artisanal spheres. The resulting technological sophistication is reflected in depictions of discrete or elaborate patterns, in the rich diversity of textile implements and in the variety in the quality of the extant textiles. In Textile Production in Classical Athens Stella Spantidaki provides the first synthesis of the available evidence from textual, iconographic and archaeological sources on textile production in 5th and 4th century BC Athens, employing an interdisciplinary perspective that sets the frame for future research in the field. As such this study is of special importance for textile specialists, ancient history scholars, historians of technology and students and will lead to a better understanding of ancient Greek textile production and Classical Athenian society. Presents a detailed consideration of the historical and social context of textile production in classical Athens; Examines and discusses evidence for the equipment, materials, processes and techniques employed at each stage of the full production sequence; Discusses the organisation of production and trade.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
List of Maps
Abbreviations
Introduction
Historical and social context
Textiles and Cult
Chapter 1: Sources
Written sources
Iconography
Archaeological evidence
Chapter 2: On the organisation of production
Domestic sphere
Information on specialisations
Information on workshops
Exchange and trade
Conclusions
Chapter 3: Materials
Plant fibres
Animal fibres
Metal threads
Mineral threads
Dyestuffs
Olive oil in textile production
Conclusions
Chapter 4: Thread Production
Fibres preparation
Wetting the fibres
Pre-spinning
Thread twist
Spinning
Splicing
Quality and thickness of threads
Spinning tools
Conclusions
Chapter 5: The warp-weighted loom
Presentation of the loom
Weaving
Loom-weights
Conclusions
Chapter 6: Other techniques of textile production
Weaving on small looms
Plaiting
Sprang
Tablet weaving
Felt
Conclusions
Chapter 7: Decorative techniques
Decoration techniques using additional wefts
Decoration using floating threads
Embroidery
Applique
Crimpy textiles
Conclusions
Chapter 8: Colour
Ancient Greek colour terms used for textiles
Techniques of colour decoration
Archaeological evidence of dyes
Conclusions
Chapter 9: Finishing
Fulling
Sewing
Maintenance
Scented textiles
Conclusions
Chapter 10: Terminological discussion
Technical terms with more than one meaning
Terms for garments
Decorative terms
Conclusions
Annex A: Textiles Catalogue
Materials and methods
Studied fabrics
Unstudied fabrics
Annex B: List of ancient Greek textile terms
Annex C: Preliminary study of spindle-whorls
Annex D: Preliminary study of loom-weights
On the functionality of loom-weights
Corpus of loom-weights
Study of loom-weights
Results
Conclusions
Afterword
Bibliography
Editions of ancient works
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