The provenance of ancient cotton and wool textiles from Nubia: insights from textile technical analysis and Sr isotopes

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

Late antique and medieval cotton and wool textiles found in the middle Nile Valley (Nubia, northern Sudan) were analysed for their technical characteristics and strontium (Sr) isotope composition. All wool textiles exhibit Sr isotope signatures consistent with the isotopic background of the region studied and are considered to be of local origin. However, a medieval wool kilim from Meinarti shows technical and aesthetic features suggesting its foreign Maghreb provenance. As this fabric dates back to the occupation of Meinarti by the Beni Ikrima tribe, it is suggested that the kilim was woven by the Beni Ikrima people from local Nubian raw material. The cotton samples tested come from abroad and document trade with the oases of the Egyptian Western Desert, the west coast of India, and perhaps also with the Arabian Peninsula or Pakistan.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftJournal of African Archaeology
Sider (fra-til)202
Antal sider216
ISSN1612-1651
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2022
Eksternt udgivetJa

ID: 337579359