Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristimäki (Kaarina, Finland)

Jenni A. Suomela; Heikki Suhonen; Riikka Räisänen; Krista Wright

doi:10.1007/s12520-022-01507-4

Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristimäki (Kaarina, Finland)

Jenni A. Suomela^*
, Heikki Suhonen
, Riikka Räisänen
, Krista Wright

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Applied Physics

University of Helsinki

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

117 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In Finland, the earliest remains of a Christian church and cemetery date to the Late Iron Age (800–1150/1300 AD) and have been excavated in Ravattula Ristimäki, in Kaarina, southwestern Finland. In this study, seven assumingly plant fibre textile samples from individual inhumation graves were analysed to identify their materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibilities of identifying archaeological plant fibre samples using a three-stage procedure by observing the surface characteristics, microfibrillar orientation and cross section of the fibres via transmitted light microscopy (TLM). The identification process was based on such a TLM characterisation. Additionally, parts of the samples were studied with X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to test the possibilities of using the X-ray methods in research and to identify bast fibre textiles. Both flax and nettle were found in the samples, indicating a preference for these two fibre plants in Late Iron Age Finland.

Original language	English
Article number	40
Number of pages	15
Journal	Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Volume	14
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01507-4
Publication status	Published - 11 Feb 2022
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

We acknowledge the provision of facilities and technical support by Aalto University at the OtaNano?Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto-NMC). We would like to thank Mira Viljanen and Kirsi Svedstr?m from the Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland; and Jaana Riikonen and Juha Ruohonen from the Department of Archaeology, University of Turku, Finland. Open Access funding provided by University of Helsinki including Helsinki University Central Hospital. This work was supported by grants from The Finnish Cultural Foundation and The University of Helsinki Funds (Kaarlo Koskimiehen ja Irma Koskimiehen rahasto).

Keywords

Bast fibre
Fibre identification
Grave textile
Micro-CT
Optical microscopy
WAXS

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10.1007/s12520-022-01507-4Licence: CC BY

Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methodsFinal published version, 2.79 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristim{\"a}ki (Kaarina, Finland)",

abstract = "In Finland, the earliest remains of a Christian church and cemetery date to the Late Iron Age (800–1150/1300 AD) and have been excavated in Ravattula Ristim{\"a}ki, in Kaarina, southwestern Finland. In this study, seven assumingly plant fibre textile samples from individual inhumation graves were analysed to identify their materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibilities of identifying archaeological plant fibre samples using a three-stage procedure by observing the surface characteristics, microfibrillar orientation and cross section of the fibres via transmitted light microscopy (TLM). The identification process was based on such a TLM characterisation. Additionally, parts of the samples were studied with X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to test the possibilities of using the X-ray methods in research and to identify bast fibre textiles. Both flax and nettle were found in the samples, indicating a preference for these two fibre plants in Late Iron Age Finland.",

keywords = "Bast fibre, Fibre identification, Grave textile, Micro-CT, Optical microscopy, WAXS",

author = "Suomela, \{Jenni A.\} and Heikki Suhonen and Riikka R{\"a}is{\"a}nen and Krista Wright",

note = "Funding Information: We acknowledge the provision of facilities and technical support by Aalto University at the OtaNano?Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto-NMC). We would like to thank Mira Viljanen and Kirsi Svedstr?m from the Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland; and Jaana Riikonen and Juha Ruohonen from the Department of Archaeology, University of Turku, Finland. Funding Information: Open Access funding provided by University of Helsinki including Helsinki University Central Hospital. This work was supported by grants from The Finnish Cultural Foundation and The University of Helsinki Funds (Kaarlo Koskimiehen ja Irma Koskimiehen rahasto). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022, The Author(s).",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1007/s12520-022-01507-4",

language = "English",

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journal = "Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences",

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Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristimäki (Kaarina, Finland). / Suomela, Jenni A.; Suhonen, Heikki; Räisänen, Riikka et al.
In: Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 3, 40, 11.02.2022.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristimäki (Kaarina, Finland)

AU - Suomela, Jenni A.

AU - Suhonen, Heikki

AU - Räisänen, Riikka

AU - Wright, Krista

N1 - Funding Information: We acknowledge the provision of facilities and technical support by Aalto University at the OtaNano?Nanomicroscopy Center (Aalto-NMC). We would like to thank Mira Viljanen and Kirsi Svedstr?m from the Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Finland; and Jaana Riikonen and Juha Ruohonen from the Department of Archaeology, University of Turku, Finland. Funding Information: Open Access funding provided by University of Helsinki including Helsinki University Central Hospital. This work was supported by grants from The Finnish Cultural Foundation and The University of Helsinki Funds (Kaarlo Koskimiehen ja Irma Koskimiehen rahasto). Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s).

PY - 2022/2/11

Y1 - 2022/2/11

N2 - In Finland, the earliest remains of a Christian church and cemetery date to the Late Iron Age (800–1150/1300 AD) and have been excavated in Ravattula Ristimäki, in Kaarina, southwestern Finland. In this study, seven assumingly plant fibre textile samples from individual inhumation graves were analysed to identify their materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibilities of identifying archaeological plant fibre samples using a three-stage procedure by observing the surface characteristics, microfibrillar orientation and cross section of the fibres via transmitted light microscopy (TLM). The identification process was based on such a TLM characterisation. Additionally, parts of the samples were studied with X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to test the possibilities of using the X-ray methods in research and to identify bast fibre textiles. Both flax and nettle were found in the samples, indicating a preference for these two fibre plants in Late Iron Age Finland.

AB - In Finland, the earliest remains of a Christian church and cemetery date to the Late Iron Age (800–1150/1300 AD) and have been excavated in Ravattula Ristimäki, in Kaarina, southwestern Finland. In this study, seven assumingly plant fibre textile samples from individual inhumation graves were analysed to identify their materials. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibilities of identifying archaeological plant fibre samples using a three-stage procedure by observing the surface characteristics, microfibrillar orientation and cross section of the fibres via transmitted light microscopy (TLM). The identification process was based on such a TLM characterisation. Additionally, parts of the samples were studied with X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) to test the possibilities of using the X-ray methods in research and to identify bast fibre textiles. Both flax and nettle were found in the samples, indicating a preference for these two fibre plants in Late Iron Age Finland.

KW - Bast fibre

KW - Fibre identification

KW - Grave textile

KW - Micro-CT

KW - Optical microscopy

KW - WAXS

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85125062978

U2 - 10.1007/s12520-022-01507-4

DO - 10.1007/s12520-022-01507-4

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85125062978

SN - 1866-9557

VL - 14

JO - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

JF - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences

IS - 3

M1 - 40

ER -

Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristimäki (Kaarina, Finland)

Abstract

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Identifying Late Iron Age textile plant fibre materials with microscopy and X-ray methods — a study on finds from Ravattula Ristimäki (Kaarina, Finland)

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

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OtaNano

OtaNano - Nanomicroscopy Center

Cite this