This part is dedicated to the field of textile archaeology and offers basic knowledge on archaeological textile production, materials and techniques, as well as their preservation state, conservation and study, issued from the work of the research team. The indicative bibliography refers to significant books and papers, some of general interest and others intended for more specialised readers. Useful links list research institutions and museums that are involved with aspects of the field of archaeological textiles in Greece and abroad.
Textile archaeology is the field of study of archaeological textiles. In a few words, researchers try to answer different questions such as what resources were used in textile production, what were the tools used, which dyestuffs were known for textile dyeing in a certain period etc. At the same time they also investigate the social context of production, the production spaces and the people involved.
Textile archaeologists study not only remains of excavated textiles and tools used for the production and decoration of fabrics, but other sources as well, such as inscriptions, texts and iconography, which offer variegated material on technical and social issues. This kind of research, drawing information from different sources and following methods from various scientific fields is called interdisciplinary and allows us to draw the most accurate conclusions regarding the study of an ancient craft, such as textile production. The interdisciplinarity of research is strengthened by the use of experimental archaeology that allows the use of ancient techniques to test archaeological hypotheses and investigate the production of technical details known from written sources and iconography. It also gives us the chance to study the function of textile tools that are found in excavations.