Bronze Age wool economy: production, trade, environment, husbandry and society
This project aims to shed light on the significance of wool and wool textile production in the European Bronze Age. Its main purpose is to investigate archaeological and archaeozoological material to identify, understand and interpret the impact of wool production on society, the environment and agricultural practices. It also aims to deepen our general understanding of human engagement with animals, particularly sheep breeds, and animal husbandry practices. The study draws upon well-documented material from Hungary and northern Italy, areas that have indications of extensive wool textile production. Textile production in general and the introduction of woollen textiles represented a great revolution in Bronze Age Europe at the dawn of the 2nd millennium BC. The available contemporary written sources from the Mediterranean and Near East bear witness to the fact that textile production was an important part of several local economies. In Europe only archaeological material can help us understand the importance of woollen textiles. Strontium isotope analyses conducted on the well-preserved textiles from Scandinavia has shown that wool came from various geological areas, both local and none local. It therefore is likely that a complex system of production and trade must have existed in Europe during the Bronze Age. This project takes an innovative approach by including the strontium analyses of sheep bones to bridge the data for areas where actual textiles are not preserved
Final report
Aim
The aims of the project were to shed light on the significance of wool and wool textile production in the European Bronze Age.
Its main purpose was to investigate archaeological and archaeozoological material to identify, understand and interpret the impact of wool production on society, the environment and agricultural practices. The study draws on well-documented material from Hungary and northern Italy, areas that have indications of extensive wool textile production.
Implementation
The first years were spent on material studies, analysing a large number of textile tools and their context, as well as collecting suitable archaeozoological and environmental samples and carrying out strontium isotope analyses. Some supplementary material studies and samples were added in year three. Most of the strontium isotope samples were analysed during the first two years. Within the Hungarian case study 65 strontium isotope analyses were conducted on 47 sheep teeth and 29 on water and plants from the Benta Valley, the latter in order delineate the baseline of the area. After the workshop in 2018, an additional 23 analyses were conducted on sheep teeth from settlements in the Benta Valley. For the Italian case study 74 strontium isotope samples have been conducted on 35 sheep teeth. A further 34 water, soil and plant samples have been analysed from the Modena province.
Alongside the ongoing analyses, the initial interpretation of the results was undertaken in year two, and presented at the February 2018 workshop. This provided an opportunity for discussion and input from Bronze Age experts in different fields. Subsequently, time has been spent reworking the interpretations and writing articles (some published, others about to be submitted to journals).
The three most important results
The project has demonstrated that the two areas show different traits indicative of wool and textile production.
Result 1
The main result from the Hungarian case is the data-set of strontium isotope analyses which shows that in the Benta Valley there existed joint grazing areas for all settlements rather than distinct grazing areas. Diverging from earlier research, our archaeological analysis revealed that the site Százhalombatta-Földvár most likely focused on wool production rather than textile production (Bergerbrant manuscript). The investigations of textile tools at the site showed traces of textile production, though not to the extent that was assumed in earlier research based primarily on archaeozoological evidence, which indicated the relatively large number of sheep at the site. The lack of tools suggested that people at the settlement specialised in sheep herding and raw wool production rather than yarn and textiles.
This is new knowledge that will add considerably to the ongoing discussion on whether the areas were inhabited by ‘free farmers’ or a hierarchical organization. The results will provide useful data to be used in Bronze Age research generally. The article about sheep management in the Benta Valley based on strontium isotope results (Bergerbrant et al. in prep.) has been somewhat delayed due to the addition of new samples. However, this delay is beneficial since a more comprehensive view of sheep management in the Benta Valley will result. The relationship between the hilltop Százhalombatta-Földvár settlement and other settlements of the valley will be discussed on the basis of sheep management.
Result 2
Our second main result is the creation of a model for Montale’s sheep management. Our interdisciplinary approach, including the results from the strontium isotope analyses of sheep teeth, shows that the landscape around Montale was predominantly used as grazing land, and that hundreds of sheep were managed by the inhabitants. This would have ensured a surplus of wool for export of both raw wool and wool products (Sabatini in press, Sabatini et al. 2018, in prep).
The archaeological remains in Montale show that it was a typical Bronze Age settlement from the area. However, our study reveals that Montale stands out with its large number of textile tools, especially spindle whorls. In our study more than 4500 spindle whorls have been documented, which is double the number known from any other Bronze Age settlement in Europe. Montale must have specialised in textile production, especially spinning (Sabatini et al. 2018), although weaving was also carried out at the site. The study of the loom weights confirms that the local textile economy was dynamic. A comparative study with other well-known contemporary sites in the Po Valley shows that the tools followed similar patterns for changes in shape and weight. Thus, there was some form of idea-exchange within the textile craft among the communities of the area. Montale must have been part of a well-developed network (Sabatini 2019). That it was primarily wool yarn and wool textiles that were produced is indicated by the bone material at the site. The textile related finds archaeozoological, archaeobotanical and tool studies have made it possible to reconstruct the Bronze Age environment and landscape around the site.
The Bronze Age settlements of the Po Valley have been studied for a long time. Their wealth has traditionally been explained through agriculture and long-distance trade. The results obtained by THESP change the picture, demonstrating that the textile economy is likely to have been an important driver of trade. The results provide the basis to rewrite earlier Bronze Age research about the area.
Result 3
THESP’s third and possibly most important result has been to prove that the wool economy must have been as complex in continental Europe as in the eastern Mediterranean (Sabatini & Bergerbrant 2019, Sabatini 2018). The anthology The Textile Revolution in Bronze Age Europe (2019), which two of the project members edited, represents a breakthrough for further research on the Bronze Age textile economy.
Our results show that both shepherding and textile production in Bronze Age Europe were complex endeavours, and that there was significant variation in different areas. A further result from THESP is that we have proven that most textile production was not household-based but part of complex networks. Specific political-economic, but also environmental-related structures were needed so groups or communities could invest in wool production. Our case studies in Hungary and Italy are two such places that have those prerequisites. A different picture is indicated by the Bronze Age textiles from Scandinavia. Many of these were made with wool from sheep that did not graze in the local area (Frei 2019), and there is other evidence to suggest that many of these textiles were obtained elsewhere in Europe (Bergerbrant 2019).
To sum up, we have shown that textile production was a vital part of the Bronze Age economy. Now we hope that similar studies will be undertaken in other areas to provide a more comprehensive picture of the role that textile production had in the development of Bronze Age society. We argue that the textile economy could have had a part in the formation of social hierarchy and gender roles. More research is needed to better understand these questions. Since our published work only began appearing at the end of 2018 and in 2019 it is difficult to assess the scholarly impact of our results, although the work has already been cited by others, and recommendations on social media suggest that our studies are relevant and appreciated.
New research questions
One of the most important new questions that has been raised through THESP relates to the development of genetic studies on prehistoric sheep. Thanks to the extra support from the Wallenberg foundation, we have been able to carry out and publish the results of a pilot study of aDNA on eight sheep teeth from both the Po Valley and Százhalombatta-Födvár. The study (Sabatini et al. 2019) shows that genetic studies in collaboration with archaeology may shed light on questions relating to the economic impetus behind sheep husbandry. In Neolithic Europe sheep were an important source for meat, milk and leather. THESP has made an important contribution by demonstrating that wool production became a very important aspect of sheep management during the Bronze Age. This means that sheep fleece must have been developed through breeding processes. These processes continued in the Bronze Age as fibre analyses indicate differences between Bronze Age and Iron Age fleece. Ancient DNA studies have the potential to help archaeologists understand where and when these processes occurred and how different sheep breeds spread through Europe.
Research distribution
Our results have been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals (see publication list), and in popular science pod, TV, radio and articles.
The project members participated in workshops organised by others and also organised two workshop/seminar days in Gothenburg. One with a focus on aDNA and sheep and the second focusing on the studied areas. Both had participants from different parts of Europe. The aDNA workshop led to a collaboration with Professor of Genetics, Daniel Bradley (Trinity College Dublin), for sampling sheep teeth/petrous bones for aDNA analysis. The first samples have been analysed but are not yet published. The workshop in February 2018 led to co-operation with senior researchers from the Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian Academy of Science and inclusion of material from the Benta Valley, which produced important results (see result 1).
The research has been presented at nine conferences, and in other academic and public contexts. We have also held programmes at a school and at the International Science Festival in Gothenburg in 2017. The results have also been incorporated in archaeology, classical archaeology and history lectures for students at Gothenburg University.
The aims of the project were to shed light on the significance of wool and wool textile production in the European Bronze Age.
Its main purpose was to investigate archaeological and archaeozoological material to identify, understand and interpret the impact of wool production on society, the environment and agricultural practices. The study draws on well-documented material from Hungary and northern Italy, areas that have indications of extensive wool textile production.
Implementation
The first years were spent on material studies, analysing a large number of textile tools and their context, as well as collecting suitable archaeozoological and environmental samples and carrying out strontium isotope analyses. Some supplementary material studies and samples were added in year three. Most of the strontium isotope samples were analysed during the first two years. Within the Hungarian case study 65 strontium isotope analyses were conducted on 47 sheep teeth and 29 on water and plants from the Benta Valley, the latter in order delineate the baseline of the area. After the workshop in 2018, an additional 23 analyses were conducted on sheep teeth from settlements in the Benta Valley. For the Italian case study 74 strontium isotope samples have been conducted on 35 sheep teeth. A further 34 water, soil and plant samples have been analysed from the Modena province.
Alongside the ongoing analyses, the initial interpretation of the results was undertaken in year two, and presented at the February 2018 workshop. This provided an opportunity for discussion and input from Bronze Age experts in different fields. Subsequently, time has been spent reworking the interpretations and writing articles (some published, others about to be submitted to journals).
The three most important results
The project has demonstrated that the two areas show different traits indicative of wool and textile production.
Result 1
The main result from the Hungarian case is the data-set of strontium isotope analyses which shows that in the Benta Valley there existed joint grazing areas for all settlements rather than distinct grazing areas. Diverging from earlier research, our archaeological analysis revealed that the site Százhalombatta-Földvár most likely focused on wool production rather than textile production (Bergerbrant manuscript). The investigations of textile tools at the site showed traces of textile production, though not to the extent that was assumed in earlier research based primarily on archaeozoological evidence, which indicated the relatively large number of sheep at the site. The lack of tools suggested that people at the settlement specialised in sheep herding and raw wool production rather than yarn and textiles.
This is new knowledge that will add considerably to the ongoing discussion on whether the areas were inhabited by ‘free farmers’ or a hierarchical organization. The results will provide useful data to be used in Bronze Age research generally. The article about sheep management in the Benta Valley based on strontium isotope results (Bergerbrant et al. in prep.) has been somewhat delayed due to the addition of new samples. However, this delay is beneficial since a more comprehensive view of sheep management in the Benta Valley will result. The relationship between the hilltop Százhalombatta-Földvár settlement and other settlements of the valley will be discussed on the basis of sheep management.
Result 2
Our second main result is the creation of a model for Montale’s sheep management. Our interdisciplinary approach, including the results from the strontium isotope analyses of sheep teeth, shows that the landscape around Montale was predominantly used as grazing land, and that hundreds of sheep were managed by the inhabitants. This would have ensured a surplus of wool for export of both raw wool and wool products (Sabatini in press, Sabatini et al. 2018, in prep).
The archaeological remains in Montale show that it was a typical Bronze Age settlement from the area. However, our study reveals that Montale stands out with its large number of textile tools, especially spindle whorls. In our study more than 4500 spindle whorls have been documented, which is double the number known from any other Bronze Age settlement in Europe. Montale must have specialised in textile production, especially spinning (Sabatini et al. 2018), although weaving was also carried out at the site. The study of the loom weights confirms that the local textile economy was dynamic. A comparative study with other well-known contemporary sites in the Po Valley shows that the tools followed similar patterns for changes in shape and weight. Thus, there was some form of idea-exchange within the textile craft among the communities of the area. Montale must have been part of a well-developed network (Sabatini 2019). That it was primarily wool yarn and wool textiles that were produced is indicated by the bone material at the site. The textile related finds archaeozoological, archaeobotanical and tool studies have made it possible to reconstruct the Bronze Age environment and landscape around the site.
The Bronze Age settlements of the Po Valley have been studied for a long time. Their wealth has traditionally been explained through agriculture and long-distance trade. The results obtained by THESP change the picture, demonstrating that the textile economy is likely to have been an important driver of trade. The results provide the basis to rewrite earlier Bronze Age research about the area.
Result 3
THESP’s third and possibly most important result has been to prove that the wool economy must have been as complex in continental Europe as in the eastern Mediterranean (Sabatini & Bergerbrant 2019, Sabatini 2018). The anthology The Textile Revolution in Bronze Age Europe (2019), which two of the project members edited, represents a breakthrough for further research on the Bronze Age textile economy.
Our results show that both shepherding and textile production in Bronze Age Europe were complex endeavours, and that there was significant variation in different areas. A further result from THESP is that we have proven that most textile production was not household-based but part of complex networks. Specific political-economic, but also environmental-related structures were needed so groups or communities could invest in wool production. Our case studies in Hungary and Italy are two such places that have those prerequisites. A different picture is indicated by the Bronze Age textiles from Scandinavia. Many of these were made with wool from sheep that did not graze in the local area (Frei 2019), and there is other evidence to suggest that many of these textiles were obtained elsewhere in Europe (Bergerbrant 2019).
To sum up, we have shown that textile production was a vital part of the Bronze Age economy. Now we hope that similar studies will be undertaken in other areas to provide a more comprehensive picture of the role that textile production had in the development of Bronze Age society. We argue that the textile economy could have had a part in the formation of social hierarchy and gender roles. More research is needed to better understand these questions. Since our published work only began appearing at the end of 2018 and in 2019 it is difficult to assess the scholarly impact of our results, although the work has already been cited by others, and recommendations on social media suggest that our studies are relevant and appreciated.
New research questions
One of the most important new questions that has been raised through THESP relates to the development of genetic studies on prehistoric sheep. Thanks to the extra support from the Wallenberg foundation, we have been able to carry out and publish the results of a pilot study of aDNA on eight sheep teeth from both the Po Valley and Százhalombatta-Födvár. The study (Sabatini et al. 2019) shows that genetic studies in collaboration with archaeology may shed light on questions relating to the economic impetus behind sheep husbandry. In Neolithic Europe sheep were an important source for meat, milk and leather. THESP has made an important contribution by demonstrating that wool production became a very important aspect of sheep management during the Bronze Age. This means that sheep fleece must have been developed through breeding processes. These processes continued in the Bronze Age as fibre analyses indicate differences between Bronze Age and Iron Age fleece. Ancient DNA studies have the potential to help archaeologists understand where and when these processes occurred and how different sheep breeds spread through Europe.
Research distribution
Our results have been published in a number of peer-reviewed journals (see publication list), and in popular science pod, TV, radio and articles.
The project members participated in workshops organised by others and also organised two workshop/seminar days in Gothenburg. One with a focus on aDNA and sheep and the second focusing on the studied areas. Both had participants from different parts of Europe. The aDNA workshop led to a collaboration with Professor of Genetics, Daniel Bradley (Trinity College Dublin), for sampling sheep teeth/petrous bones for aDNA analysis. The first samples have been analysed but are not yet published. The workshop in February 2018 led to co-operation with senior researchers from the Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian Academy of Science and inclusion of material from the Benta Valley, which produced important results (see result 1).
The research has been presented at nine conferences, and in other academic and public contexts. We have also held programmes at a school and at the International Science Festival in Gothenburg in 2017. The results have also been incorporated in archaeology, classical archaeology and history lectures for students at Gothenburg University.