Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)

Articles

Textile Structures and Techniques Identified in Neolithic and Copper Age Sites from Romania

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Fig. 3. Interlinking methods, a. Simple linking with the use of a needle (after Collingwood 1974); b. Different stages of interlinking sprang technique (after Broholm-Hald 1940).

of each other. At the middle line the threads must be fasten in order to prevent the undoing of the fabric (Collingwood 1974, 31-32; Barber 1991,122; Seiler-Baldinger 1994, 53, fig. 93) (Fig. 3/b). According to the handling of the warp fibres we can distinguish between interlinked, interlaced and intertwining sprang (Collingwood 1974; Seiler-Baldinger 1994,52-56). Our focus is concentrated towards interlinked sprang, whose aspect is similar to textiles produced using the linking method. Based on the way the warp fibres are arranged we can distinguish between flat and circular warp sprang (Collingwood 1974).

Because of their elasticity the fabrics made in sprang technique were mostly used for creating hairnets, stockings, sleeves and belts. For example some of the earliest finds of textiles made in sprang are the well-known woman’s hairnets from Borúm Eshoj, Skrydstrup and Munksgárd, Denmark, Early Danish Bronze Age (Broholm-Hald 1940, 73-73, 99, fig. 93-94, 139-140; Barber 1991, 122-123, fig. 3.36; Bender Jorgensen 2003, 61; Collingwood 1974, 38). This technique becomes widely spread starting with the Iron Age (Barber 1991, 122; Collingwood 1974, 39-42). Other reports in the literature of an earlier usage such as those from Rietzmeck, Kr. Roßlau, Germany, identified on Neolithic pottery (Schlabow 1960; Barber 1991, 123) are most likely produced by other methods (Collingwood 1974, 37). We also express doubts about the net-like fabric discovered at Cucuteni-Cetätuie of being made using the sprang technique; it is more likely that the linking method was applied with the use of a needle, as it is the case of Cucuteni needle-looped textiles.

3. Twined textiles

Generally, twined fabrics are structures consisting of two thread systems in which the interlacing mode is characterized by a twist movement of two or more active elements around one or more passive or active elements (Seiler-Baldinger 1994, 31-32; Médard-Seiler-Baldinger 2010, 61). The twining techniques have a wide applicability, being used for making a multitude of things as shown by both archaeological finds and ethnographic data. We can distinguish between