Period: Iron Age (AD 200-400)
Project title: Teglespranget i praxis
Researcher: Sunniva Halvorsen, University of Bergen, Norway
E-mail: sunnivawh(at)yahoo.no
Year: 2007
Abstract:
Tegle Bog in Norway has yielded some of the most important textile discoveries from the Iron Age. The finds include a piece of material, which was made using the special technique of “sprang” (i.e. making fabric using a plaiting/braiding technique). The garment is a sewn-up tube, and tablet-woven bands have been attached to the hems. Tablet weaving is a weaving technique using a number of tablets with small holes in each corner through which the warp is run, resulting in a relatively firm type of fabric.
The garment has previously been interpreted as a sock, but in reality researchers do not know what it was or how it was worn. In an experiment at Lejre Experimental Centre, the garment was reconstructed and subsequently tried out on various visitors at the Centre.
It quickly became clear that the garment was too narrow to be used as a sock on most adults, whereas it functioned well as an arm warmer. On children up to 12 years of age, however, the garment was best suited as a sock, while it was too large for use on the arms. The conclusion, therefore, was that the garment from Tegle Bog was probably as sock for a child or an arm warmer for an adult.
The experiment forms part of an MA project at the University of Bergen.
Reference number: HAF 08/07
