Latest news with #OakbankTextile
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Record
Ancient cloth which lay at bottom of Perthshire loch for thousands of years goes on display
A rare piece of fabric that lay buried under silt at the bottom of a Perthshire loch for nearly 2500 years has gone on display. It was found in 1979 when an Iron Age loch dwelling house, the Oakbank Crannog, was excavated on Loch Tay. The woven piece of cloth is believed to be one of the oldest of its kind in Britain and dates back to the early to middle part of the Iron Age. It is now on show for the first time - within a climate controlled cabinet – at The Scottish Crannog Centre's Iron Age village, visitor centre and museum, near Kenmore. The textile had previously been thought too fragile to display, but it will be a permanent exhibit at the centre following a painstaking stabilisation and conservation process, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. Experimental archaeologist and volunteer at the centre Maureen Kerr said: 'The exciting thing is that there's nowhere else in Scotland, and very few places in the rest of the UK, that has a textile of this size and age. 'The weave on this fine textile is called a 2/1 twill which is really unusual for the time in southern Britain and northern Europe as most twill weaves were 2/2. 'This sheds considerable light on the technologies society had in the Iron Age. 'Twill weaves, which this textile is part of, is a dense, flexible fabric, very similar in appearance to our modern denim weave. It has been made, we think, on a two-beam loom, or a warp-weighted loom. 'This, combined with the fact that there are the remnants of a possible hem indicating that it could have been part of a piece of clothing, makes it a rare and special discovery.' Crannogs – dwelling houses built on stilts or stone over water – usually had a bridge connecting them to the shore. Very few exist outside of Scotland and Ireland. The first crannogs in Scotland were built on lochs from Neolithic times. The Scottish Crannog Centre director Mike Benson commented: 'We are absolutely thrilled to be able to invite the public to come and see this amazing find. 'This piece would have been made by a whole community, from the shearing of the sheep, to the processing and dyeing of the wool to the weaving of the textile. 'Our Centre today is very much about community and the one thing that unites all of us is our common humanity through the ages.' The 'Oakbank Textile,' has been analysed by University of Glasgow archaeologists who have radiocarbon dated the material to between 480 - 390 BC. University of Glasgow senior lecturer in archaeology Dr Susanna Harris said: 'There are very few early textiles of this date and we think this is the first one of this type, of 2/1 twill, in Scotland. Wool was such an important material in Scotland it's been exciting to analyse this piece. 'It's great that the Scottish Crannog Centre has taken this step. It's really important finds like this go on display. It may be a small piece of textile but it tells us a lot about the heritage of Scottish textiles.'
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Science
- Daily Record
Ancient Scottish textile hidden under a loch for 2,500 years to go on display
Discovered in 1979 at the Oakbank Crannog, the textile is thought to be one of Britain's oldest surviving woven fabrics A remarkably well-preserved Iron Age textile is going on public display for the very first time after being hidden beneath Loch Tay for nearly 2,500 years. The ancient fabric remnant was found back in 1979 after lying undiscovered for millenia. Believed to be one of the oldest surviving pieces of woven fabric in Britain, the textile was discovered during excavations at the Oakbank Crannog, a reconstructed Iron Age dwelling that was perched on stilts above the loch in Perthshire. Natural preservation by silt at the bottom of the loch kept the rare find intact over the centuries, but until now, it was considered too delicate to exhibit. Thanks to a meticulous conservation and stabilisation process, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland, the textile can now be safely viewed by the public. It is being showcased from Wednesday at the Scottish Crannog Centre, where it has taken pride of place in the Iron Age village, visitor centre and museum on the shores of Loch Tay. The precious relic is housed in a climate-controlled cabinet to ensure its protection for future generations. Mike Benson, director of the Scottish Crannog Centre, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to be able to invite the public to come and see this amazing find. 'This piece would have been made by a whole community, from the shearing of the sheep, to the processing and dyeing of the wool, to the weaving of the textile. 'Our centre today is very much about community and the one thing that unites all of us is our common humanity through the ages. 'We're really looking forward to finding out what people make of this rare textile, which is part of our past but also a hugely important part of our present and future. We hope people will be drawn to see this exhibit, and the rest of our extensive collection, for years to come.' Archaeologists at the University of Glasgow have dated the Oakbank Textile to between 480 and 390BC using radiocarbon analysis. Dr Susanna Harris, senior lecturer in archaeology at the university, said: 'There are very few early textiles of this date and we think this is the first one of this type, of 2/1 twill, in Scotland. 'Wool was such an important material in Scotland, it's been exciting to analyse this piece. It's great that the Scottish Crannog Centre has taken this step. "It's really important finds like this go on display. It may be a small piece of textile but it tells us a lot about the heritage of Scottish textiles.' Crannogs, ancient homes built on stilts or stone over water, were once a common sight across Scotland, typically linked to the shore by a wooden bridge. These unique dwellings date back to Neolithic times, with very few examples found outside Scotland and Ireland. The Scottish Crannog Centre's own reconstructed crannog was tragically lost to a fire in 2021. But in a major step forward, the centre reopened last year on a larger site near Kenmore. The team is now well underway with building a new crannog, using traditional and sustainable construction techniques to honour the site's historical roots.
The Independent
23-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Fragments of Iron Age textile found in loch go on show for first time
A rare piece of Iron Age textile which lay buried in a loch for nearly 2,500 years is going on public display for the first time. The woven fabric, believed to be one of the oldest of its kind in Britain, was found in Loch Tay in Perthshire where it was naturally preserved by the silt on the bottom. It was discovered in 1979 when an Iron Age loch dwelling house, known as the Oakbank Crannog, was excavated. It is now on public display for the first time at the Scottish Crannog Centre's Iron Age village, visitor centre and museum, on the banks of Loch Tay. The textile was previously thought to be too fragile to go on show but it has now gone through a painstaking stabilisation and conservation process, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. It is on display from Wednesday and is being housed safely in a climate-controlled cabinet. Mike Benson, director of the Scottish Crannog Centre, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to be able to invite the public to come and see this amazing find. 'This piece would have been made by a whole community, from the shearing of the sheep, to the processing and dyeing of the wool, to the weaving of the textile. 'Our centre today is very much about community and the one thing that unites all of us is our common humanity through the ages. 'We're really looking forward to finding out what people make of this rare textile, which is part of our past but also a hugely important part of our present and future. 'We hope people will be drawn to see this exhibit, and the rest of our extensive collection, for years to come.' The fabric, known as the Oakbank Textile, has been analysed by archaeologists at the University of Glasgow who have radiocarbon dated the material to between 480 and 390BC. Dr Susanna Harris, senior lecturer in archaeology at the university, said: 'There are very few early textiles of this date and we think this is the first one of this type, of 2/1 twill, in Scotland. ' Wool was such an important material in Scotland, it's been exciting to analyse this piece. 'It's great that the Scottish Crannog Centre has taken this step. It's really important finds like this go on display. It may be a small piece of textile but it tells us a lot about the heritage of Scottish textiles.' Crannogs were dwelling houses built on stilts or stone over water and usually had a bridge connecting them to the shore. The first crannogs in Scotland were built on lochs from Neolithic times and very few are said to exist outside of Scotland and Ireland. The centre's reconstructed crannog was destroyed in a fire in 2021. Last year the Scottish Crannog Centre reopened to visitors on a new and enlarged site near Kenmore and the team are well on the way to completing a new crannog using sustainable and historical construction methods.
The Herald Scotland
23-04-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
Scottish Crannog Center to display fragment of Iron Age cloth
Researchers say it sheds light on the weaving technology available to the inhabitants of prehistoric Scotland – and could possibly have come from a piece of clothing. The scrap's dense weave means it would have appeared similar to denim when it first came off the loom and follows an unusual pattern which was uncommon in Europe at the time. The fragile artefact was found buried at the bottom of Loch Tay in Perthshire for, where it had lain for nearly 2500 years, naturally preserved by the silty bed. It was uncovered when an Iron Age loch dwelling house known as the Oakbank Crannog was excavated in 1979, but was considered too fragile to go on display. The fabric will be on show at the Scottish Crannog Centre (Image: Martin Shields) However, the public will now be able to see the fragment close-up when it goes on show for the first time at The Scottish Crannog Centre's Iron Age village from today. The textile will become a permanent exhibit at the Centre on the banks of Loch Tay, and has gone through a painstaking stabilisation and conservation process, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. It will be housed safely in a climate-controlled cabinet, preserving its unique fibers and pattern. Maureen Kerr, an experimental archaeologist and volunteer at the Centre, said: 'The exciting thing is that there's nowhere else in Scotland, and very few places in the rest of the UK, that has a textile of this size and age. 'The weave on this fine textile is called a 2/1 twill which is really unusual for the time in southern Britain and northern Europe as most twill weaves were 2/2. This sheds considerable light on the technologies society had in the Iron Age. 'Twill weaves, which this textile is part of, is a dense, flexible fabric, very similar in appearance to our modern denim weave. It has been made, we think, on a two-beam loom, or a warp-weighted loom.' She added: "This, combined with the fact that there are the remnants of a possible hem indicating that it could have been part of a piece of clothing, makes it a rare and special discovery.' The scrap of cloth lay at the bottom of a loch for 2,500 years (Image: Martin Shields) The 'Oakbank Textile,' has been analysed by archaeologists at the University of Glasgow who have radiocarbon dated the material to between 480 - 390BC. Dr Susanna Harris, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, carefully examined the textile on behalf of the Centre. She said: 'There are very few early textiles of this date and we think this is the first one of this type, of 2/1 twill, in Scotland. Wool was such an important material in Scotland it's been exciting to analyse this piece. 'It's great that the Scottish Crannog Centre has taken this step. It's really important finds like this go on display. It may be a small piece of textile but it tells us a lot about the heritage of Scottish textiles.' READ MORE: Mike Benson, Director of The Scottish Crannog Centre said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to be able to invite the public to come and see this amazing find. "This piece would have been made by a whole community, from the shearing of the sheep, to the processing and dyeing of the wool to the weaving of the textile. "Our Centre today is very much about community and the one thing that unites all of us is our common humanity through the ages.' He added: "Through our work with communities and like-minded organisations, we invite all kinds of people to our Centre, for instance, refugees and people struggling with their mental health. 'As well as making our prehistoric history accessible to all, we're also making history together through the different interpretations people bring to our artefacts. It's been amazing to hear the fresh insights people from other cultures and backgrounds can offer. 'We're really looking forward to finding out what people make of this rare textile, which is part of our past but also a hugely important part of our present and future. We hope people will be drawn to see this exhibit, and the rest of our extensive collection, for years to come.' Experimental archaeologists Maureen Kerr (left) and Isobelle Hanby outside the roundhouse where a warp-weighted loom is being used to recreate the 2/1 twill weave found in the Oakbank Crannog in 197 (Image: Martin Shields) Crannogs were dwelling houses built on stilts or stone over water and usually had a bridge connecting them to the shore. Very few exist outside of Scotland and Ireland. The first crannogs in Scotland were built on lochs from Neolithic times. In 2021 the Scottish Crannog Centre was dealt a devastating blow in 2021 when a fire burned down the site's reconstructed crannog, built by archaeologists in 1997. The Centre opened to visitors on its new and enlarged site near Kenmore last year and the build team is well on the way to completing a new crannog using sustainable and historical construction methods.
The National
23-04-2025
- Science
- The National
Historic archaeological find in Scottish loch go on display
The woven fabric, believed to be one of the oldest of its kind in Britain, was found in Loch Tay in Perthshire where it was naturally preserved by the silt on the bottom. It was discovered in 1979 when an Iron Age loch dwelling house, known as the Oakbank Crannog, was excavated. (Image: Martin Shields) It is now on public display for the first time at the Scottish Crannog Centre's Iron Age village, visitor centre and museum, on the banks of Loch Tay. The textile was previously thought to be too fragile to go on show but it has now gone through a painstaking stabilisation and conservation process, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland. It is on display from Wednesday and is being housed safely in a climate-controlled cabinet. READ MORE: Elon Musk to reduce role at Doge as Tesla struggles to sell cars Mike Benson, director of the Scottish Crannog Centre, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled to be able to invite the public to come and see this amazing find. 'This piece would have been made by a whole community, from the shearing of the sheep, to the processing and dyeing of the wool, to the weaving of the textile. 'Our centre today is very much about community and the one thing that unites all of us is our common humanity through the ages. 'We're really looking forward to finding out what people make of this rare textile, which is part of our past but also a hugely important part of our present and future. 'We hope people will be drawn to see this exhibit, and the rest of our extensive collection, for years to come.' Scottish Crannog Centre (Image: Martin Shields) The fabric, known as the Oakbank Textile, has been analysed by archaeologists at the University of Glasgow who have radiocarbon dated the material to between 480 and 390BC. Dr Susanna Harris, senior lecturer in archaeology at the university, said: 'There are very few early textiles of this date and we think this is the first one of this type, of 2/1 twill, in Scotland. 'Wool was such an important material in Scotland, it's been exciting to analyse this piece. 'It's great that the Scottish Crannog Centre has taken this step. It's really important finds like this go on display. It may be a small piece of textile but it tells us a lot about the heritage of Scottish textiles.' READ MORE: Reform UK attack 'Scottish political class' over exclusion from anti-far-right summit Crannogs were dwelling houses built on stilts or stone over water and usually had a bridge connecting them to the shore. The first crannogs in Scotland were built on lochs from Neolithic times and very few are said to exist outside of Scotland and Ireland. The centre's reconstructed crannog was destroyed in a fire in 2021. Last year the Scottish Crannog Centre reopened to visitors on a new and enlarged site near Kenmore and the team are well on the way to completing a new crannog using sustainable and historical construction methods.
