Abstract
Investigation of textile traditions in Archaic Sicily has traditionally focused on loom weight types and how Greek and Punic cultures affected indigenous weaving traditions. The available archaeological evidence seems to show that some indigenous communities were reluctant to adopt foreign cultural elements and maintained distinctive and peculiar textile traditions.
This paper offers the opportunity to extend the discussion on weaving traditions to the methodological approach and enhances our understanding of ancient textile traditions through the case study of Portella Sant’Anna. This area, located to the north of the Acropolis at the site of Monte Polizo, yielded a group of loom weights of different weights and sizes fallen down from a potential working loom. In this paper, the evidence has been analysed and an attempt has been made to understand whether and how these loom weights might have worked together in a loom set-up. This assemblage has then been compared to other loom weight clusters found at the site. The result might be suggestive of a particular way to set up a loom, which could create particular appearances in the warp threads.
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Notes
- 1.
Discoid loom weights are attested in Ramacca (Albanese and Procelli 1988–1989), Sabucina (Longhitano 2021), Himera (Allegro et al. 1976: 83; 218; 462; 558), Camarina (Pisani 2008: 143) during the fifth century BC. However, this loom weight shape is more common from the fourth century BC onwards. For an overview of the evidence, see Meo 2015: 44–47.
- 2.
- 3.
Here, this term is used to indicate local peoples, who show a material culture different from that of Greeks and Punics.
- 4.
This type of loom weights has been referred to as ‘Punic block’ in Balco and Kolb (2009).
- 5.
Landenius Enegren 2017.
- 6.
De Simone 2003: 356, Fig. 288, no. 66.
- 7.
Spatafora and De Simone 2007: 38.
- 8.
Nenci 1992.
- 9.
Giglio Cerniglia et al. 2012: Fig. 427.
- 10.
- 11.
The settlement was investigated by an international team: The Scandinavian Sicilian Archaeological project (SSAP) uncovered four houses to the south of the highest point (reports 1998–2001, reports 2002–2003, Prescott et al. 1998). The University of Stanford explored the Acropolis, revealing other houses and a cult area. Preliminary reports have been published in https://web.stanford.edu/group/mountpolizzo/index.htm; Morris et al. 2001, 2003. The Soprintendenza of Trapani dug the area to the south and to the north of the Acropolis (Tusa 1972; Lentini 2004).
- 12.
A comprehensive publication of the excavations is still lacking and only a few partial works have been published so far. The major contribution has been made by Mühlenbock (2008), who has presented preliminarily findings about some contexts and material.
- 13.
Recovered in trench 20005, layer 142 (from the information on the box where the loom weights are stored). A pair of tweezers was also found close to the loom weights. I warmly thank the excavator Dr. Assia Ingoglia for sharing with me the details of the context and the discovery of the loom weights.
- 14.
Loom weights bearing a Σ are attested at Himera (Allegro et al. 1976: 143, 676 cat. no. 90).
- 15.
Examples of textiles made of yarns variously tensioned are attested in Classical Attica (Spantidaki 2016: 180).
- 16.
- 17.
Cape Zoster 2 (Spantidaki 2016: 110 cat. no. 4).
- 18.
- 19.
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Acknowledgements
I warmly thank the Soprintendenza of Trapani for giving me the permission of studying and publishing this material (authorisations prot. no. 1397 dated 16 March 2018 and prot. no. 3262 dated 28 June 2019). Particularly, I thank Dr R. Giglio, Dr R. Guazzelli and Dr G. Mammina for kindly allowing me to study the textile implements at the site. This research was part of my PhD project, which was partially funded by the Pasold Research Fund, Peet Travel Award and Andrew Sherratt Grant. I am grateful to my supervisors, Prof. L. Foxhall and Dr M. Fitzjohn, to Dr M. Gleba and Prof. P. Militello for their support. I sincerely thank Alistair Dickey for his comments and suggestions on the final draft of this paper.
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Longhitano, G. (2022). Weaving Traditions in Archaic Sicily: The Case Study of Portella Sant’Anna at Monte Polizo. In: Ulanowska, A., Grömer, K., Vanden Berghe, I., Öhrman, M. (eds) Ancient Textile Production from an Interdisciplinary Perspective. Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-92170-5_7
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