The present data collection contains loom weights from Central and Northern Europe of the Bronze and Iron Ages. In a diachronic overview and using the example of individual sites, the intensity and importance of textile production in the study area is investigated.
Keywords
Materials; Burnt Clay; Ceramic; Stone; Settlement; Funerary; Single Finds
Description
This is a diachronic study on Bronze Age loom weights in Central Europe. The knowledge about textiles in the Únětice and Lusatian period is very small. More often, however, we find spindle whorls and the loom weights of the warp-weighted looms. They vary in shape and weight and are found in different contexts. In contrast to the spindle whorls, which are almost completely absent in the Únětice context, loom weights were selected for the present study. Since these occur both in the Early and Late Bronze Age. The frequency of the occurrence, their context and their shape are to be investigated. If measurements (weight and size) are available, this is considered in the analysis. A database with the data used for this article is available here.
In contrast to the alpine area, the Central European types are limited to two basic forms: the cylindrical shape of the Neolithic and EBA and the pyramidal type from the LBA and EIA. The latter type extends in part even into the Roman Period. While in the Alpine region, South and South-East Europe, the larger range of types speak for a very individual and variable textile technology, the almost uniform shape of Central Europe points to a seemingly standardized textile production. In addition, the number of loom weights increases markedly from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age. The increasing number of graves with loom weights in the Lusatian groups, scenic depictions of weaving, and rich women burials in the Iron Age prove, however, that the textile production is gaining in importance compared to older periods. In addition, the individual case studies show that in the Iron Age a division of labor between spinning and weaving, partly within the settlement, partly between fortified settlements and other sites could be assumed.
