Aarreaitta: Tarton keskiaikaiset tekstiilit / what a treasure: Medieval textiles from Tartu, Estonia

TÄNÄÄN / TODAY: 

Riina Rammo "Tekstiilileiud Tartu keskaegsetest jäätmekastidest: tehnoloogia, kaubandus ja tarbimine" 

Date: 

16.12.2015 - 16:15 to 18:00

Thesis supervisors: Senior Research Fellow Heiki Valk, PhD Jüri Peets, PhD Erki Russow.
Opponents: Dr hab prof Jerzy Maik (Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk, oddział w Łodzi); Dr. Katrin Kania (Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg).

Summary

In the medieval society, the functions of textiles were manifold and might vary from practical to symbolic. Every medieval person needed textiles every day – in addition to clothing, in household and furnishing as well as packaging and sails in transport. One of the biggest medieval assemblages of archaeological textiles has been found in cesspits in Tartu. The doctoral theses are based on 3257 textile fragments. Cesspits were once used as lavatories and pits for waste. Textile scraps thrown into cesspit may originate from craft activities (e.g. tailoring) or these were used as equivalents to modern toilet paper or sanitary towels. The amount of both written and iconographic sources about medieval Tartu is limited, thus the textile fragments form the main source for studying textile trade and production as well as consumption habits and clothing culture of townspeople.

It seems that the inhabitants of medieval Tartu have preferred imported textiles to local products. The role of hanseatic trade in shaping the textile market in Tartu should not be underestimated. Among the numerous textile finds from the cesspits of Tartu, several types of imported cloth from West European production centres dominate, while fragments, which can be regarded local products, form a minority. Broadcloth, it means felted, teaselled and sheared woollen fabric, can be pointed out as typical to the medieval town culture. Remains of clothing items reveal that the inhabitants of Tartu were well informed about fashion spread in other North European towns. The most luxurious fabric was silk. Edgings and decorative top-stitching of silk was used in order to stress the status of the wearer. In medieval Tartu no large scale textile production developed. Nevertheless, the innovations related with professional urban craft (horizontal looms, carders, spinning wheel) in European towns obviously reached also Tartu. In rural areas of Livonia foreign urban textiles were rare and technological innovations of textile production were not introduced before Modern Era.

EDIT: Link to the PhD text at the end of this blog post!!

Tänään on hieno päivä! Tekstiiliarkelologi Riina Rammo väittelee tohtoriksi Tarton yliopistossa aiheenaan Tarton keskiaikaiset tekstiilit. Vieraillessani Tartossa viime keväänä Riina kysyi, haluaisinko nähdä hänen tutkimiaan fragmentteja. Ai halusinko?!

Tässä sitä sitten keskustellaan silkkinauhoista, pistoista ja napinlävistä. Se oli oikea onnen päivä, tekstiilinörtille.

This is a great day! Today estonian textile archeologist Riina Rammo has her Doctoral defense! She made her PhD about medieval textiles of Tarto. Last spring when I visited Tarto, she asked if I wanted to see what she has been researching. Did I?!

So here we are, talking about silk facings, stitches and buttonholes. It was a lucky day for a textile nerd.

Materiaalia oli todella paljon, pinoittain suuria pahviarkkeja täynnä kankaanpaloja. Riinan aineistossa on noin 3300 fragmenttia!

There is really a lot of material. Piles and piles of fabric pieces, almost 4000 of them, of which 3300 is included to Riina´s work.

Aineiston perustella Riina on päätellyt, että Tartossa suosittiin tuontikankaita ja keskieurooppalaista muotia: aineistossa näkyvät ylelliset villakankaat ja silkit eivät ole paikallista tuotantoa.

Riina has deduced that most of the remained textiles are imported and that Tarto inhabitants favored central european fashion. There are a lot of luxury materials as fine wools and also silk and they are not local products.

 - Kun katsoo Tartoa, on kuin katsoisi Lontoon keskiaikaisia löytöjä, Riina kuvaili. Ja toden totta: leikattuja koristereunoja, silkkiä, punaista punaista punaista...
- If you look at Tarto finds, it´s like looking at medieval finds from London, Riina said. Indeed; tagged edges, silk and red red red.

Tässä makupala: silkkiraitaa villakankaassa!
Delicious: silk stripes on wool!

Napinlävet on ommeltu paksulla silkkilangalla.
Buttonholes, sewn with silk yarn.

Poimutuksia. Missäs minä näitä näinkään... niin, Turussa!
Pleatings... where did I see them too.. oh yes, in Turku!

 Hupun reuna ja koriste, joka myös huolittelee käännöksen. On muutes yhdensorttista ketjupistoa tuo.
A hood edge and a decoration, which also finishes the hemming of the hood. Look, it is on sort of chain stich there.

Useiden kankaiden upea punainen loisto näkyy edelleen.
The red color is still very visible.

Tuota poimutusta en hennonut purkaa muovipakkauksesta.
This pleating I did not take out from the plastic container.

Hupun reuna, yksityiskohta
Hood edge, a detail.

Nyörinreiän langat voi edelleen laskea: kasvikuitu on kadonnut, mutta langan jättämät reiät näkyvät.
Eyelet, and the stitch holes are still visible. Seems to be sewn with vegetable fibre, the yarn is gone but holes it made are still there.

Raidallista silkkikangasta.
Striped silk fabric.

Ja sitten tämä! Mekko villapalttinaa, pääntie huoliteltu silkkinauhalla, joka on kiinnitetty silkkilangalla. Kuva nurjalta puolelta.
And then this! Woolen dress in plain weave, neckline finished with silk band, sewn on place with silk yarn. Reverse side.

Laitetaan lopuksi vielä vähän hienoa ruutukangasta.
And one more: fine woolen fabric, checkered.

Palttinoita ripsiraidoin / tabby with extended tabby stripes

Iskunyöriä sillkistä / finderloop braiding in silk

Tähtihetki! Star struck moment! (Riina is awesome)

Kuvat: fragmenttikuvat Mervi, pönötyskuvat Riinan kanssa otti Krista Vajanto.
Kuvat julkaistaan Riina Rammon luvalla.
Ethän kopioi!

Photos: fragments: Mervi Pasanen, posing with idol: Krista Vajanto.
Pictures published with permission of Riina
Please, don't copy!

Tekstiä päivitetty 17.12: väitös hyväksyttiin ja sen verkkoversio (ilman artikkeleita) on luettavissa täältä

Updated 17.12: Defense went well and was accepted. The PhD´s web version (without articles) can be read from here

ps. Krista Vajannon väitös rautakauden ja keskiajan värjäysmenetelmistä tulossa 16.1. 2016!!
ps. Krista Vajanto will have her defense about late iron age dyes 16.1. 2016!!