There's a conference about early archaeological textiles this weekend, hosted by the Institute for Christian Archaeology of the Uni Bonn - the timespan goes from Neolithic to Early Medieval textile finds, with a wide range of topics and geographical areas.

If that sounds interesting to you, you can find more information, including the programme, on the Institute's website. Because of the pandemic, the conference is mostly online - which means you can join in and attend via Zoom. If you wish to do so, email Petra Linscheid (her email address is on the conference programme pdf).

 

So... here's the solution to the camera question:

One is, yes, above the screen on my laptop, as would be expected - marked with a yellow circle. One is outside the shot, on a tripod and looking over the upper edge of the extra monitor. The third one is also marked with a yellow circle, and it's fixed to a cap.

Which I wear. Well, not in that picture, there it's just hanging out on the table. When I do wear it, it looks slightly odd:



However... it means I can show my workshop participants exactly what I am seeing when I am doing things. Which is exactly what they should be seeing when they are doing the same things. And I am really amazed at the difference it makes to explain stuff! Well worth looking a little daft, with a cap with a long USB cable dangling from it...

You can tell that I've had a full day if the blog post comes up after 8 in the evening... like today, which included doing some of the usual daily emailing and shop work, then attending the CTR anniversary conference, then going to donate blood, and then...



...then my computer moved into the other room, and some spindles did too, and there were three screens in total and three cameras, and a mouse, and a hot drink, and some water.

And there were people joining me on Zoom, and soon they were all spinning medieval style with spindle and distaff. I'm still amazed on how well this online teaching works - not least, actually, due to the three cameras (and the third screen, which is essential for the use of one of the cameras).

So - here's a challenge for you.

I'm using three cameras in total, one of which I could do without. Two of the three cameras are on this photo, including the one that I'm most happy with, and that makes the course work so well. Can you spot it?

Things here are busy, busy, busy - but in a good way. There's sending out of goods ordered through the online shop, I've just sent back the corrected final proof for a paper (about spinning), and I've also sent out the results of a museum/writing project that I did together with Helga Rösel-Mautendorfer, my wonderful colleague from Austria. It's information about Iron age clothing, and how to make it, intended for use by schools to make these kinds of garments for the children.

There's also, to my great delight, more European Textile Forum planning going on. It does look like numbers are falling about everywhere, and that we can go ahead with our Forum plans. So there will be a newsletter as soon as I can manage, and a website update, and much more planning in the background.

Having the Forum to look forward makes the loss of the real-life NESAT a bit more bearable for me... a week or so ago, an email came announcing that NESAT would be online only. Finland is apparently quite restrictive regarding people coming into the country, and the organisers of the conference didn't want to risk issues with participants not being allowed in, or having to quarantine. So it will be a virtual conference only.

I'm really sad about this, though I can understand the reason behind it, and wouldn't want to be caught myself in quarantine in Finland instead of actually attending the conference. Hopefully there will be another chance to visit Finland at some point in the future, and there will surely be a next NESAT which, unless a new pandemic strikes, should be a proper real-flesh-and-blood one!

Even more online conferences: The Medieval and Early Modern Studies Festival will take place on June 17 to June 19. It's theoretically in Kent, but with the pandemic, this too has gone online.

There's a lot of interesting papers and two workshops, and participation is free - you can see the programme and register on their website.

 

One of the lovely things about doing the Textile Forum organisation is that I'm always learning new things, and getting to know more from other, quite far-away bits of the textile world. Case in point? This article about Tutankhamun's Collar.

I wasn't aware of the fact that a lot of textiles were found in Tutankhamun's grave - though I will mention right now that Ancient Egypt is quite a bit away from the European Middle Ages, which are my main field. The article about the reconstruction shows very, very nicely some of the many different methods that can be used to re-create or re-construct something, for different purposes. It also shows that it is well worth to repeat a process, after comparing the outcome of the work with the original and maybe looking at some additional sources again.

Also: What an ingenious piece of weaving! I'm already looking forward to seeing more of this at the Textile Forum!

If you're interested in learning more about purple mollusc dye but missed the webinar a while ago - the recording of the session is available in the video archive of the American School of Classical Studies, and you can find it here.

There's a lot more things in the archive as well, sorted by category, so if you're into Classical studies, it's probably worth a look and a browse.

In not-so-classical news, I've been very busy sending out distaffs and spindles in preparation for the next online classes, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. If you'd like to join in for the English language one on June 30, there's still a few days left to book: I've set the deadline to June 10 to make sure that the parcel with the kit will definitely arrive in time within Europe. So don't miss it!