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Archaeological mineralised textiles from the Iron Age tumulus of Creney-le-Paradis support its elite status

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2024

Clémence Iacconi
Affiliation:
Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Elsa Desplanques*
Affiliation:
Centre André Chastel, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
Christophe Moulherat
Affiliation:
Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, UAE
Maëva L'Héronde
Affiliation:
Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, UVSQ, MC, MNHN, IPANEMA, Saint-Aubin, France
Andrew King
Affiliation:
Synchrotron SOLEIL, Saint-Aubin, France
Awen Autret
Affiliation:
Novitom, Grenoble, France
Sebastian Schöder
Affiliation:
Synchrotron SOLEIL, Saint-Aubin, France
Barbara Fayard
Affiliation:
Novitom, Grenoble, France
Émilie Leccia
Affiliation:
Novitom, Les Ulis, France
Loïc Bertrand*
Affiliation:
Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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Abstract

Looting and plough damage to the eighth–fifth centuries BC tumulus of Creney-le-Paradis, France, hinders interpretation of this potentially significant site. Nevertheless, application of novel microtomographic techniques in combination with optical and scanning electron microscopy allows the first detailed examination of 99 textile fragments recovered from the central pit. The authors argue that the diversity of textiles revealed—at least 16 different items—and the quality of weaving involved confirm earlier interpretations of the high status of this burial, which is comparable, at least in terms of textiles and metal urns, with other ‘aristocratic’ tombs of the European Iron Age.

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Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications Ltd
Figure 0

Figure 1. Distribution of elite burials from the sixth–fifth centuries BC in central-eastern France, and specifically in the Senon territory and the Vanne Valley (figure by authors).

Figure 1

Figure 2. The site of Creney-le-Paradis (Aube, France): a) archaeological site (c. eighth–fifth centuries BC); b) burial, central pit (c. late sixth–fifth centuries BC); c) diagram of the mound and its concentrically superimposed construction phases; scale bar: 10m; d) vertical section of the mound (adapted from Villard 1988) (figure by authors).

Figure 2

Figure 3. SEM VPSE images of mineralised fibres from Creney-le-Paradis highlighting cuticle scales (a & b) and negatively mineralised imprints (c & d). All scale bars 10μm. All evidence points to wool (figure by authors).

Figure 3

Table 1. Typology of textiles identified in the 99 fragments from Creney-le-Paradis. Ox and Oy correspond to the yarn system of each weave, weft and warp if they could be determined. Textile types are numbered by weave type, type of yarn and thread count. Note that the total number of layers (NL 135) exceeds the number of fragments (99), as some fragments have more than one layer on their surface(s).

Figure 4

Figure 4. The different types of weave identified at Creney-le-Paradis: a–n) twill (types 1.1.1–1.3); o & p) tablet-woven (types 2.1–2.2); q) tabby (type 3); r) undetermined (type 4). Scale bar 1mm. Images b, m and o were generated from μCT virtual volumes to study otherwise inaccessible layers (figure by authors).

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