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Nichele Bayeui Smith with contiibutions by Naigaiet T. 0iuoez

The analysis of these textiles was carried out in May 2011 at the National
Museum of Iceland (!j"minjasafn slands) where they are curated. Each piece
was analysed for fibre identification, object dimensions, thread count, warp and
weft yarn dimensions (though not microscopically as these measurements were
taken in situ with limited equipment), spin tension (when possible), construction
details, colour (evidence for dyeing will be performed in subsequent months),
weave pattern, evidence for incorporation within larger garments or objects,
adhering or incorporated non-textile materials, and unique features. All objects
were photographed using a digital DinoScope! microscope (with magnifications
ranging from 70X-200X) and a Nikon digital camera.
When these analyses were carried out, if envelopes contained multiple fragments
of cloth listed under the same number and that it was clear that these were
fragments from the same piece of cloth, the largest was recorded, measured and
analysed. All of the pieces were, in these cases, described as one piece of cloth.
If the package contained more than one type of cloth, each different type was
assigned a suffix (e.g a, b, c#z) after the National Museums catalogue number
to indicate a different fabric type. This having been said in the numbers listed
below reflect each fragment to give an idea of the total number of fragments of
cloth.
The annotations z2S, s2Z, etc. refer to plied yarns.
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ABCCDEAFDEEB(G(F(H"'#'I(JK(#&J0$(
1988-21S-229 a (S fiagments.)
Bimensions 12u.9mm x 2u.4 mm 4u mm x 16 mm 48 mm x
1S mm
Weave 22 twill
Fibie Wool
Spin sz
Twist on waip 4u.S
Twist on weft 28.8
S
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.S mm1.mm
Thieau count 1212
Coloui Biown
Comments: 22 twill, veiy fine weave with almost equal thieau uiametei anu equal thieau count.
Theie is a hem visible on the thiee fiagments.

1988-21S-229 b
Bimensions 187 mm x 1uS mm
Weave Tabby
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip 4u
Twist on weft 4u
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.2Smmu.66mm
Thieau count 1212
Coloui Biown
Comments: Tabby (plain weave). Theie is an auuitional piece of cloth (also tabby weave) that was
sewn onto the main fabiic as iepaii.
(
1988-21S-229 c- plieu yain
Bimensions 17S mm x u.4mm
Weave NA
Fibie Wool
Spin S2ZZ2S
Twist on waip NA
Twist on weft NA
Yain uimensions (waipweft) NA
Thieau count NA
Coloui Biown
Comments: two stianus of plieu yain, laigei of the two is s2Z anu finei is Z2S.

4
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ABCCDEAFDEEL(G(A(H"'#'(JK(M*-/'N0(*NO(*OO"0"JN*&(K-*M/'N0(APQLDAQLL(1R((
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Bimensions 26umm x 26u mm x 2uu mm (top of shouluei to
the bottom)
Weave Tabby
Fibie Wool
Spin Zs
Twist on waip 48.7.
Twist on weft SS.S
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.77mmx1.48 mm
Thieau count 8S
Coloui Baik biown waip light biown weft
Comments: uaiment- possible fiont of a iobe. Theie is an auuitional piece incluueu unuei this
numbei of the same weave type piobably toin off main piece of cloth. Aim hole is appaient but veiy
small. This is not the gaiment of a chilu as shouluei measuiement is too long (16 cm) female auults
measuie ioughly between 1S-14 cm. Biffeient coloui of the waip thieaus piouuceu a stiipeu effect,
foi similaiities to this pieces see uieenlanuic uiess Nilunu type 1b. Piece was uateu at AB 14Su-
1Suu (Bayeui Smith, 2u11).

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S
ABCCDEAFDEFL(G(A((
Bimensions SSu mm x 8u mm
Weave 22 twill
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip 4S.S
Twist on weft SS.9
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.46 mm 2.u mm
Thieau count 96
Coloui Baik biown
Comments: long piece of cloth that was toin off of some gaiment with a stitcheu hem. Biscaiueu
gaiment piece Thieau useu in the hem is plieu.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEES*((G(C((
Bimensions 27Smm x 11umm112mm x 9u mm 9S mm x 4u
mm 4Smm x 4ummSSmm x 4u mm6umm x
Su mmSumm x1u mmSu mm x 1umm
Weave 22 twill
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip 44.S
Twist on weft Su
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.S2 u.7S
Thieau count 121u
Coloui Light biown waip biown
Comments: 8 pieces that aie bioken up anu belong to one piece of cloth, possibly one gaiment given
the piesence of seveial pieces that aie hemmeu - finely woven vaml, with a bit of fulling on the
suiface(
(
ABCCDEAFDEEST(GE(
Bimensions 22ummx 24mm18umm x 1S mm
Weave 22 twill
6
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip S8.2
Twist on weft Su.S
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.411.76 mm
Thieau count 121u
Coloui Baik biown
Comments: 2 stianus that have been hemmeu with stitching visible on the unueisiue.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEES(#(G(A(
Bimensions 11.71mmx 2S.u7mm
Weave 22 twill
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip 41.6
Twist on weft Su
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.692.19
Thieau count 84-S
Coloui Baik biown
Comments: veiy small fiagment not as finely woven as othei with this numbei.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEESO(GF(
Bimensions 2Summ x 1u mm 1Summ x 7 mm21umm x 7
mm
Weave 22 twill .
Fibie Wool
Spin zz
Twist on waip 41.6
Twist on weft Su
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.7umm2.6Smm
7
Thieau count 86.
Coloui Baik biown
Comments: thiee fiagments that aie so felteu on the suiface that the weave is almost impossible to
uiscein. Likely to be all fiom the same piece of cloth(
(
ABCCDEAFDEEEG(E((
Bimensions 66.17 mm x 68.29 mm12S.92mm x SS.uS mm
Weave 22 twill
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip S6.8
Twist on weft 29.S
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.82mm1.S7 mm
Thieau count 9-1uS
Coloui Tan
Comments: 22 twill with a veiy loose weave. Nicioscopic analysis suggests that wool is fiom
Icelanuic sheep which is chaiacteiiseu by unueicoat fibies that aie veiy fine with the smallest
uiameteis of 1u , slightly less than uiameteis of othei types of sheep wools anu veiy long pointeu
tips. Neuium size fibeis (~Su-6- have mosaic -patteineu scales with smooth maigins; when
piesent, pigment is evenly uistiibuteu in coitex, continuous meuullas sometimes aie piesent, anu
laige fibeis often have a continuous meuullas that can be moie than half the uiametei of the fibei anu
a scale pattein similai to laige fibeis fiom othei sheep. Laige fibeis occui ianuomly in yains
composeu of fine oi meuium fibeis but sometimes isolateu fiom smallei uiametei fibeis to make
waip yains.(
BES-1988-21S-222 (Bessasta"#$)(5'I,&0I(K-J/(*N*&+I"I(#*--"'O(J,0(T+(R-U(!*-M*-'0(8U(7-OJV'WX(
6N"Y'-I"0+(JK(5$JO'(?I&*NO(JN(K"T-'(I*/H&'I(#J&&'#0'O(KJ-/(=3.DABCCDEAFDEEE(

S gioups of wool yains(A-C) anu a tangle of fibeis (letteieu left to iight in photos)
A: 14 pieces of z-spun yain anu S pieces of s-spun yain like B; vaiiety of fibei uiameteis in z-
spun yains ianging fiom 11 to 1uu ; mosaic scale pattein
B: a single s-spun yain anu a yain fiagment; these anu S pieces in A aie biightei yellow than
the z-spun yains in A; many fine fibeisthin veitical fibei left of the bubble in photo a is 12

C: single, z-spun yain, tightly spun (u.S cm at tightest spin; u.SS cm in photo); mixtuie of
coloieu fibeis: yellow, uaik biown, meu biown, ieuuish biown; laige & small uiameteis;
measuiements of uiameteis in photo clockwise fiom lowei iight : 2u, 7u,SS,Su,2S, 7u
mean uiameteis ~6S , many with meuullas with pigment uistiibuteu thioughout coitex.

8

1. 0veiview of sample a, b,c (Photo: Naigaiet T. 0iuoez, 2u11)



EU(=3.DABCCDEAFDEEE(*(I*/H&'(K"T'-I(ALG(ZH$J0J[(!*-M*-'0(8U(7-OJV'WX(ELAA\(
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1u
ABCCDEAFD(EPA(G(A( (
Bimensions 1u9.S4 mm x S8.64mm
Weave Tabby weave
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip 46.S
Twist on weft .
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u.491.S9 mm
Thieau count 12S-6
Coloui Tan
Comments: tabby weave, tightly woven anu suifaceu fulling so that it is almost a felt. Fibies appeai to
be fiom the %&'(( fleece of the sheep anu all the same uiametei.
(
ABCCDEAFDEEA(G(A(^(APQLDAQLL(1R(
Bimensions 18umm x8umm - seveial smallei pieces bioken
off.
Weave 22 twill
Fibie Wool
Spin zs
Twist on waip S7.2
Twist on weft SS.1
Yain uimensions (waipweft) 1.121.88mm
Thieau count 8S
Coloui Tan
Comments: iegulai 22 twill.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEEP(GA(
Bimensions 26umm x16Smm
Weave Balf basket weave
Fibie Wool
11
Spin zs
Twist on waip Su
Twist on weft 21.9
Yain uimensions (waipweft) 1.122.61mm
Thieau count 7-84-S
Coloui Reuuish biown
Comments: Textile was uateu to the viking Age. Plain weave- half basket, iaie in Icelanu waip aie
uoubleu though not plieu. Loose fabiic stiuctuie.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEPQ(G(F(
Bimensions 1uumm x1Summ14ummxSSmm7u mm x2S
mm
Weave Knit, stockinet stitch anu moss stitch
Fibie Wool
Spin Z
Twist on waip S1.4
Twist on weft NA
Yain uimensions (waipweft) u,87mm
Thieau count NA
Coloui Tan (piobably initially white)
Comments: Fiom a giave knitteu gaiment fiagment. Bouy of gaiment was knit in stockinet stitch anu
the wiist (.) in moss stitch. Yain is not plieu anu knitting is veiy fine. Noss stitch appeais to have
been auueu aftei the fact one the gaiment was maue, oi this coulu also be eviuence foi patching.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEEQ(GA(
Bimensions 122.u9mm x7S.u7 mm
Weave NA
Fibie Wool
Spin NA
Twist on waip NA
Twist on weft NA
12
Yain uimensions (waipweft) NA
Thieau count NA
Coloui Baik biown
Comments: No weave, clump of wool.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEPE(G(E(
Bimensions 86.87 mm x S7.97 mm79.77 mm x S2.S2 mm
Weave NA
Fibie Wool
Spin NA
Twist on waip NA
Twist on weft NA
Yain uimensions (waipweft) NA
Thieau count NA
Coloui Light biown anu black
Comments: clump of iaw wool with long exteiioi fibies- clump is matteu anu stiange white flecks aie
embeuueu in the fibies.(
(
ABCCDEAFDEE_(GE(
Bimensions 29.S2 mm x S2.u6 mm
Weave NA
Fibie Wool
Spin NA
Twist on waip NA
Twist on weft NA
Yain uimensions (waipweft) NA
Thieau count NA
Coloui NA
Comments: None.(