Textile Production in Classical Athens

by Stella Spantidaki

Series: Ancient Textiles

Imprint: Oxbow Books

256 Pages, 216 x 279 mm, b/w and color

£40.00
Hardcover
9781785702525
September 2016

North America

UK & Rest of World

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Description
Contents
Authors
Praise

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 civilization. During Classical times, textile production was a fundamental part of the economy and was practiced 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.

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
Appliqué
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

Stella Spantidaki is an honorary Research Fellow at University College London where she is currently working on a collaborative project researching textile production in Iron Age Greece as part of a major research program exploring the role of textile production and consumption in the formation of early states, using the example of Mediterranean Europe.

“With its comprehensive bibliography this study is a welcome basis for the gradual advancement of archaeological textile research.” ~Cornelia Isler-Kerényi

The great contribution of this book is the wonderful catalogue of Attic textiles, accompanied by excellent photographs… Spantidaki’s excellent presentation of them is a huge service to scholarship. ~Lin Foxhall, , 91 357 (2017)

“…a rich and useful synthesis of our current knowledge of how cloth was created in Attica and the wider Greek world. Richly but usefully illustrated with many colour images (scenes from pots, sculpture, and, importantly, archaeological finds) and with numerous line drawings and charts, the large-formatted book also offers a comprehensive glossary of textile-related terms in Classical Greek literature. It will form a secure basis of fact and interpretation for all scholars and students interested in dress-related subjects.”

"Very well illustrated and produced, to advtage, to a slightly larger format […] the discussions of the technical aspects are the most interesting." ~Ancient West & East