Gallery

Bowl fibula

Textile fragments preserved in a bowl fibula (tortoise brooch) from boat grave 36 in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) dated to cirka AD 900. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt, Uppsala university, with permission.

Human remains and DNA

Textiles from the Viking age are usually found in graves. Here the bones and teeth of the person in the grave are analysed for more information. Photo: Annika Larsson.

Tablet woven band from Valsgärde

A fragment of a tablet woven band from boat grave 3 , Valsgärde (in the collections of Museum Gustavianum). The materials are silk and drawn wire, probably of silver or silver alloy. Dated to the Viking period.
Photo: Karolina Pallin.

The Dal tapestry

Part of the reverse side of the Dal tapestry (in the collection of National Historical Museums, Sweden). The objects is however not a proper tapestry, it has a ground weave in tabby and the pattern is made mainly in soumak technique. Dated to medieval times.
Photo: Karolina Pallin.

Recycled silk

The old stitching holes show that this armour lining is made from a used piece of silk fabric.
Photo: Annika Larsson.

Belt from Valsgärde

In Sweden, archaeological textiles are best preserved in contact with metal salts. A good example of this is textiles preserved on metal dress ornaments and accessories. Here on a belt from one of the boat graves in Valsgärde (in the collections of Museum Gustavianum).
Photo: Annika Larsson.

Comparing wool

The wool fibres in the bottom right part of the picture are from Vendel age boat graves in Valsgärde (in the collections of Museum Gustavianum). Using a microscope we can see that the dimension and quality are similar to the wool fibres in the top left part of the picture. These are from a modern Swedish Rya-sheep. The wool look blue under the lamp of the microscope but is black in original.
Photo: Annika Larsson

Wool in natural colors

Wild sheep have never been natural to Scandinavia, they were brought here because of the value of their wool. Already in the bronze age the textiles are made from wool in distinct natural colors. The idea that all wool was grey is a myth constructed in modern times. The picture show modern wool in natural colors.
Photo: Annika Larsson.

Textile fragments from boat grave 10 in Valsgärde

The circumstances for perserving textiles in Swedish soil are not the best. Knowledge of textiles, excavation methods, archaeological preservation and the historical context are needed for analysing and interpreting the fragmentaric finds.
Photo: Annika Larsson.