Weaving Identity

Cultural Belonging and Cultural Change, 1600-1100 BC in Southern Scandinavia and Northern Germany

Abstract

This article considers technical, cultural and gender-related aspects of textile production in southern Scandinavia and northern Germany during the Middle Bronze Age. Specifically, female nerworks and weaving technology are discussed through the different combinations of s- and y-spun thread. It is argued that textile technology is a cultural phenomenon that was spread through female interaction. These lines of communication and interaction shift over time, but at a rate that is demonstrably different from other changes in the society as seen on e.g. bronze objects that are more likely to be a result of male interactions and exchange networks. The study as a whole demonstrates that the textile evidence is a rich and informative source for Middle Bronze Age society providing a key to understanding female identity and cultural change.