The Hallstatt Textiles from the Bi-ritual Cemetery in Świbie

Abstract

Textile production during the Hallstatt period was an integral part of everyday life of societies living in Poland. However, discoveries of fabrics are very rare. Textile remains from this period survived primarily in the skeletal bi-ritual graves in the Silesia voivodship. Among preserved fragments of organic finds, remains of clothes and elements of accessories can be distinguished. The best-preserved and well-studied textile remains come from the cemetery in Świbie, Gliwice district. The locality was accidentally discovered in 1930s, but regular excavations started there thirty years later. As a result of the archaeological works, 576 cremation urns and skeletal graves were explored providing a rich set of materials. Grave goods were local products, as well as imports from Southern and Western Europe. Sixty three graves contained remains of textiles. The majority of the surviving fabrics adhered to metal outfits. In addition, research encountered woven tape remains, braided ribbons, threads, and strings. The material acquired from the cemetery in Świbie is the largest textile collection from the Hallstatt period discovered in Poland. It waited in a museum warehouse until the year 2015 when the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Łódź initiated further studies. Despite the fact that most fragments were small and mineralised, all the undertaken analyses led to a better understanding of textile production in the Hallstatt period in Poland with its innovative and traditional elements.