The Princess of Zweeloo- Netherlands 500 AD

[Heather Smith]

Once again I have found little info on the textiles and burial goods of this grave. Does anyone know any thing about the Princess of Zweeloo grave found in the Netherlands? I would like to know more about the clothing construction and the beads. Photos or any info would be greatly appreciated. The only real site I have found with info, and rather scanty, is here:

http://tiedyedfreaks.org/ace/terra_cott ... nebed.html

[mante vd heuvel]

I did a quick search on the internet. found out that it the garment was a diamondtwill 18 threads per cm.

found 2 links in Dutch:
http://www.encyclopediedrenthe.nl/Prinses_van_Zweeloo#
http://www.coevorden.nl/over-de-gemeent ... n-zweeloo/

I know I have a postcard somewhere in my archive of a reconstruction of the Princess of Zweeloo's clothing.
If I can find it, I'll scan it and try to post it here...

If I find out more, I'll let you know.

[J Meijer]

I feel I should add that one of these sites mentions a dating in the middle of the fifth century AD and the other that it's from the early Dark Ages (which starts at 450 AD according to the Dutch 'period system'). So, strictly speaking, in my opinion it's not really usable in a 'Celtic context'.
It's also worth considering that the reconstruction is based on (I imagine) very small fragments of cloth (the only way the linen was preserved in that situation was by being in contact with metal and its corrosion). If you take a look at the reconstruction (first link, click on the picture on the right, boom, big picture) you can see that there probably wasn't much to work with.
I'm no expert on this subject, but I wonder.. Could it have been 'just' a blouse?


Joost

[Heather Smith]

I know so very little about the grave and it's findings. I also realize that not only is it from the wrong area of Europe for me but about 400 years later than my persona. But then, I have also invested myself into the Huldremose (2nd Century BC) and the Gaul and Wife statute in the National Museum, Rome (230-200 BC) ad as other examples of 'bog dresses'. Honestly, if I was to try to shoot for Scotland, 100AD there is no telling what I might have worn as little to nothing has survived. I am a little confused with the linen comment. Was the dress linen? On my link it appears to be a fine woven wool even though the wool looks a little too white to me, but the fiber content appears a little too fuzzy for linen. If in fact it was wool, wool survives under such conditions much better than linen which might explain why they were able to suggest that it was a bog dress. I do not know how much of the fabric survived. In all honesty this is closer to 'Celtic' than say Viking in my opinion and as little of womens' garments survive the historical context I still would rather research this grave find than something else of much later of date. I actually am more interested in the glass beads which have their Celtic counterparts on the mainland and Isles dating back to the Bronze age. I love the fact they are used as a belt, which is unique. This is why I would like to know more, but felt some folks might be interested in the find or know something more about it.

[J Meijer]

The few pieces of information I've looked at on the internet claim it was a linen garment.

I will be going to the museum where they keep the reconstruction again, probably next weekend..
So if there's something specific you'd like to know, let me know and I might be able to give some more details.


Joost

[Tim Edwards]

Linen twill is exceptionally rare pre 500 AD in NW Europe. I've never seen any. I would suspect it is either later, not linen, or most probably both!!

Why Celtic? as opposed to Germanic? I prefer Iron Age as a term...