Nya analyser av textiler från en dansk bronsåldersgrav har gett flera överraskande resultat:
It was widely presumed that production of plant fibre textiles in ancient Europe, especially woven textiles for clothing, was closely linked to the development of agriculture. In other words, locally-grown plants were used − especially flax and hemp.
“The Lusehøj cloth (Fyn), the oldest piece of woven fabric in Northern Europe, challenges this assumption by demonstrating an intentional use of wild plant fibres,” says Bodil Holst, a professor in nanophysics at the University of Bergen.
“Because the fabric was found in a grave rich in treasures, it’s unlikely that nettles were chosen as a substandard substitution for linen, which was also available and which we have assumed to be finer. Nettles must have been chosen intentionally,” she says.
Wild plants, imports and local production
Danish archaeologists and Norwegian physicists have cooperated in this study. In this instance the archaeologists think someone must have transported the fabric from Austria to Denmark.
http://sciencenordic.com/ancient-piece-fabric-surprising-source