Recent advances in the analytical and experimental study of mineralised textiles

Abstract

Mineralised textiles — altered remnants of organic textiles preserved by the diffusion of metallic cations from nearby artefacts or the environment — have gradually emerged as an essential source of information on the production and use of textiles in prehistoric and antique societies, as well as on their implication on the economy, technological developments and trade. In many contexts, they are the only evidence of productions known either indirectly through tools or not at all. In this review, we highlight the contribution of analytical methods in recent years to their study, an evolution that began with the emerging use of optical and then electron microscopy in the 1960s and 1970s. In particular, we describe the most recent period, which has seen (i) the widespread use of digital optical microscopy in laboratories and museums, (ii) the adoption of approaches aimed at characterising molecular signatures, even for highly altered textiles, and (iii) the development of micro-imaging methods, particularly using synchrotron radiation or laser sources. We are finding that these methods are making an increasing contribution to the field of archaeology. We outline possible prospects for the research and documentation of mineralised textiles and the possible impact of imaging methods on museum displays.