Summary

Fragments of cloth, found with a skeleton in a bog at Birsay, Orkney

Accession Number

H.NA 2

Other references

Original description

Fragments of cloth found with skeleton in bog, Birsay, Orkney. Trevor Cowie notes, 20 September 2011: Henshall 1952 records as follows: Birsay, Orkney. (NA 2.) P.S.A.S., xvi (1881-2), 11. Some pieces of extremely worn and patched woollen clothing found, about 1881, with the skeleton of a girl in a bog. The find has been included with the 17th-century pieces because of the similarity of the single thread colour stripes in piece 'g' with those from Dava, including 26 'h'. Another fragment of interest is 'b', which originally had a pattern of warp stripes but one of the two warps has completely disappeared; presumably it was of vegetable fibre.
Descriptions
a. 3 pieces of yellow-brown cloth, the largest [16 x 10 1/2ins]. Weave, 2/1 twill. Probable wa. Z, 18, we. S, 13, thicker, softer and lighter colour. The cloth is very heavy, firmly woven and slightly felted.
b. 1 piece yellow brown, [9 3/4 x 10 1/2 ins]. Either the warp or the weft was made of two materials, one of which has completely disappeared. There is an edge to the cloth which, if it is the selvedge, means the warp was mixed. The arrangement of the stripes is irregular, sometimes the vanished threads alternating with the woollen threads, but not more than three of either coming together. Weave, plain. ? Wa. Z., 18, we. Z, 16.
c. 3 pieces light and dark brown cloth. Weave, plain. Probable wa. darker, harder spun, Z, 19, we. S, 19. Regular but rather loosely woven.
d. 1 piece light brown cloth. Weave, plain. Count, 20. One yarn Z the other S. Cloth firmer and more felted than (c).
e. Similar to d. Count, 26 x 20.
f. Similar to d, but more irregular. Count, 19 x 23.
g. Light brown. Weave, 2/1 twill. Probable wa. Z, 32, we. S, 26, lighter spun. Stripes, probably in the wa., consist of 2 green, 2 brown, 2 red, 2 brown, 2 green threads. This combination is placed at intervals of 2 1/2; 4 3/4 and 4 1/4 ins. There is a broad green stripe parallel with these at one side over 1 1/2 ins. wide.
h. Cloth forming foundation of garment. Largest piece 21 x 17 1/2 ins. Dark brown. Weave, plain. Wa. Z, 27, we. Z, 16. Selvedge has double thread in outside place. Less evenly spun than other cloths.

Associated person/people (e.g. excavator/former collection)

None

Discovery / field collection

Date of discovery

Not recorded

Method (e.g. excavation)

Not recorded

Place (i.e. location of discovery)

Grid reference

Not recorded

Acquisition

Acquisition date

1881

Acquisition source (i.e. name of donor)

Macbeath, J.M., 1881 (fl.)

Acquisition source role (e.g. donor)

Donor

Image

None