Ancient Mediterranean Textile Production
@wustltextiles.bsky.social
This account documents the SP 25 WUSTL course "Ancient Mediterranean Textile Production" taught by Bayla Kamens. The course is 50% readings and 50% studio work, with students from the Fine Arts and Arts & Sciences schools.
Sorry for repost! I forgot I made a thread for the projects
May 4, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Sorry for repost! I forgot I made a thread for the projects
Students explored one aspect of ancient textile production in a final project with a creative component supported by a research paper. In this thread, I feature their wonderful work (using pseudonyms for the students) 🧵
May 2, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Students explored one aspect of ancient textile production in a final project with a creative component supported by a research paper. In this thread, I feature their wonderful work (using pseudonyms for the students) 🧵
A wonderful feature of our course on WashU Classics! classics.wustl.edu/news/revivin...
Reviving Ancient Threads: WashU Students Weave the Past into the Present
In a vibrant celebration of craft, scholarship, and experimentation, students in
classics.wustl.edu
May 2, 2025 at 3:02 PM
A wonderful feature of our course on WashU Classics! classics.wustl.edu/news/revivin...
Yesterday we had a very successful studio show where students showed off their work from the semester and their final project progress to guests. Stay tuned here for features on each of the amazing final projects as they are completed!
April 30, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Yesterday we had a very successful studio show where students showed off their work from the semester and their final project progress to guests. Stay tuned here for features on each of the amazing final projects as they are completed!
Our last class today 🥹Another round of student presentations, and then we had a bit of time at the end for takeaways from the course. Students shared their appreciation for the labor that went into textiles, their new skills like spinning and sewing, their enjoyment of the studio structure, and more
April 25, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Our last class today 🥹Another round of student presentations, and then we had a bit of time at the end for takeaways from the course. Students shared their appreciation for the labor that went into textiles, their new skills like spinning and sewing, their enjoyment of the studio structure, and more
In this week's studio we learned how to hand sew and made some ancient outfits for models both big and small.
April 4, 2025 at 3:49 PM
In this week's studio we learned how to hand sew and made some ancient outfits for models both big and small.
We have finished making our textiles and move on to their uses. This week is clothing! We read a chapter of Women's Work and one from Lee's Body, Dress, and Identity and talked about what messages clothing can send. We looked at tons of art of ancient clothing and tried to understand construction.
April 1, 2025 at 11:19 PM
We have finished making our textiles and move on to their uses. This week is clothing! We read a chapter of Women's Work and one from Lee's Body, Dress, and Identity and talked about what messages clothing can send. We looked at tons of art of ancient clothing and tried to understand construction.
Today's studio was fulling and felting. We used warm water and a variety of methods of friction creation to full the fabric we wove previously and to felt colored roving. We stuck with water and dishsoap, nobody wanted to try urine ;)
March 28, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Today's studio was fulling and felting. We used warm water and a variety of methods of friction creation to full the fabric we wove previously and to felt colored roving. We stuck with water and dishsoap, nobody wanted to try urine ;)
While the instructor was off frolicking at CAMWS, students did a take-home #dyeing studio using natural dyes from Love of Colour online shop. Students used alum as a mordant on wool roving and yarn.
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March 25, 2025 at 11:11 PM
While the instructor was off frolicking at CAMWS, students did a take-home #dyeing studio using natural dyes from Love of Colour online shop. Students used alum as a mordant on wool roving and yarn.
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This week is all about COLOR! We read Barber on dyes and Spantidaki on colors and talked especially about two of the most prized and symbolically-loaded dyes in the ancient world: sea-purple and saffron.
March 18, 2025 at 11:21 PM
This week is all about COLOR! We read Barber on dyes and Spantidaki on colors and talked especially about two of the most prized and symbolically-loaded dyes in the ancient world: sea-purple and saffron.
Thursday we wrapped up weaving - students took turns on the warp-weighted loom, learned to finish off their woven pieces, and some tried out tablet weaving. Lots of great stuff coming off the cardboard looms, including pieces woven with their hand-spun yarn!
March 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Thursday we wrapped up weaving - students took turns on the warp-weighted loom, learned to finish off their woven pieces, and some tried out tablet weaving. Lots of great stuff coming off the cardboard looms, including pieces woven with their hand-spun yarn!
Today we read "Textile Weaves: The Beginnings" + "And Penelope?" from Prehistoric Textiles. In class we looked at various swatches of modern fabrics to see if we could identify their weaves and we walked through how Barber argues for Penelope weaving a pictorial cloth for Laertes.
March 5, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Today we read "Textile Weaves: The Beginnings" + "And Penelope?" from Prehistoric Textiles. In class we looked at various swatches of modern fabrics to see if we could identify their weaves and we walked through how Barber argues for Penelope weaving a pictorial cloth for Laertes.
This afternoon students continued working on their small personal #weaving projects, and we set up and used a full-size #warp-weighted #loom!
Thread with lots more pics and a description of the steps involved 1/
Thread with lots more pics and a description of the steps involved 1/
February 28, 2025 at 12:37 AM
This afternoon students continued working on their small personal #weaving projects, and we set up and used a full-size #warp-weighted #loom!
Thread with lots more pics and a description of the steps involved 1/
Thread with lots more pics and a description of the steps involved 1/
This week is the WARP-WEIGHTED LOOM!! We looked at tons of images of warp-weighted looms and learned to identify all of the different parts. Exit ticket: What's one weaving technique or loom type you want to try?
February 26, 2025 at 12:18 AM
This week is the WARP-WEIGHTED LOOM!! We looked at tons of images of warp-weighted looms and learned to identify all of the different parts. Exit ticket: What's one weaving technique or loom type you want to try?
Students know this class is a place where they can do their crafts to keep hands busy during lecture. I like getting to see what they're working on as I teach: this week we had one knitter, one crocheter, one spinner, and one embroiderer!
February 19, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Students know this class is a place where they can do their crafts to keep hands busy during lecture. I like getting to see what they're working on as I teach: this week we had one knitter, one crocheter, one spinner, and one embroiderer!
First week of WEAVING! We learned what weaving is and what a loom is, and explored the ancient backstrap loom, ground loom, vertical two-beam loom, tablet weaving, and sprang. On Thursday we will start weaving on our own DIY cardboard looms, and next week will be all about the warp-weighted loom
February 19, 2025 at 12:28 AM
First week of WEAVING! We learned what weaving is and what a loom is, and explored the ancient backstrap loom, ground loom, vertical two-beam loom, tablet weaving, and sprang. On Thursday we will start weaving on our own DIY cardboard looms, and next week will be all about the warp-weighted loom
Studio was lovely today - so lovely I forgot to take pictures! Students continued to spin and learned how to ply and finish their yarn. I read the song of the spinning Fates in Catullus 64 and we mirrored them - spinning while telling each other stories
February 13, 2025 at 11:44 PM
Studio was lovely today - so lovely I forgot to take pictures! Students continued to spin and learned how to ply and finish their yarn. I read the song of the spinning Fates in Catullus 64 and we mirrored them - spinning while telling each other stories
Lecture today on spinning in literature. We read selections from Homer, Herodotus, Xenophon, Erinna, Theocritus, and the Batrachomyomachia. Spinning is strongly associated with women throughout, but has different connotations in the hands of elite women, free women, and enslaved women.
February 12, 2025 at 12:55 AM
Lecture today on spinning in literature. We read selections from Homer, Herodotus, Xenophon, Erinna, Theocritus, and the Batrachomyomachia. Spinning is strongly associated with women throughout, but has different connotations in the hands of elite women, free women, and enslaved women.
Take the whorl off your spindle and you've got a spool of yarn, ready to ply or (more often in a classical Greek context) use as a "shuttle" in your weaving.
February 10, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Take the whorl off your spindle and you've got a spool of yarn, ready to ply or (more often in a classical Greek context) use as a "shuttle" in your weaving.
Our desks look about the same right now haha. Looking forward to hearing more about how this class goes!
Today was the official start of the spinning project in my class Textiles, Gender, and Labor in the Ancient Mediterranean. I got to bring the _fun_ supplies to class. 😊🐑☁️🧶
February 5, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Our desks look about the same right now haha. Looking forward to hearing more about how this class goes!
Supply spotlight: Roman ring #distaff, 3D-printed at WashU's tech den. This is based on a surviving bone distaff now housed at the Louvre. The ring goes around the pinky, fiber is wrapped around the shaft, and then kept out of the way in hand during spinning.
February 4, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Supply spotlight: Roman ring #distaff, 3D-printed at WashU's tech den. This is based on a surviving bone distaff now housed at the Louvre. The ring goes around the pinky, fiber is wrapped around the shaft, and then kept out of the way in hand during spinning.
First studio day of spindle spinning. Students learned the basics of drafting and discovered just how hard it is to pick up this skill! We have three weeks just on spinning so plenty of time to practice. Students also got to pick up some supplies for the rest of the semester.
January 31, 2025 at 1:13 AM
First studio day of spindle spinning. Students learned the basics of drafting and discovered just how hard it is to pick up this skill! We have three weeks just on spinning so plenty of time to practice. Students also got to pick up some supplies for the rest of the semester.
A small selection of spindle whorls of the ancient med. across time and space. Spinning is fun, and for ancient folks indispensable, but spinning on a beautiful spindle is an extra joy that has persisted for thousands of years.
All pics NYC Met collections.
All pics NYC Met collections.
January 29, 2025 at 3:55 PM
A small selection of spindle whorls of the ancient med. across time and space. Spinning is fun, and for ancient folks indispensable, but spinning on a beautiful spindle is an extra joy that has persisted for thousands of years.
All pics NYC Met collections.
All pics NYC Met collections.
Intro to spinning! Students tried to make string out of wool with just their hands - many figured out quickly to wind their finished thread around pens or to ply their thread to balance it. Tech evolution in real time! Exit ticket: How does the spindle make string production easier/more efficient?
January 29, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Intro to spinning! Students tried to make string out of wool with just their hands - many figured out quickly to wind their finished thread around pens or to ply their thread to balance it. Tech evolution in real time! Exit ticket: How does the spindle make string production easier/more efficient?