Humans of the ancient world had to devote vast amounts of time and resources to the production of textiles such as clothing, bedding, ship’s sails, and beyond. In this course you will dive into the textile production techniques of the ancient Mediterranean, with units on fiber preparation, spinning, weaving, laundry, and non-clothing textiles. In addition, we will explore the social structures (especially gender) which influence and are influenced by textile production.

This course has a significant hands-on component. It will be approximately 50% engagement with scholarship and 50% studio work. That means that every week you will be participating in the processes that you are reading about. There are no required prerequisite courses or skills, but you must be ready and willing to try new things with your hands.

The evidence for ancient fiber production is varied, and so the scholarship portion of this class will involve work in the fields of classical philology, art history, and archaeology.

• Identify and describe the major tools and processes used in textile production in the ancient Mediterranean.
• Gain a personal working familiarity with drop spindles, cardboard looms, the warp-weighted loom, and felting and finishing woven textiles.
• Produce a finished product which explores in detail one aspect of ancient textile production.
• Gain proficiency in reading archaeological scholarship on the ancient world.

Readings and discussions

Attendance and participation are a key component of this course. On discussion days, you are expected to come to class having carefully read the assigned readings and participate in class discussion. If you don’t fully understand the entirety of each reading that’s okay – bring your questions to class and we will address them together.

Studio projects

Each studio unit will have a project that we work on together in class, and a product that will be due at the end of the unit. The “studio projects” portion of your grade will include your attendance and participation on studio days, as well as a sign off on the completion of a physical product at the end of each unit.

Response Papers

After each of our five units, you will write a 2-page reflection paper in which you reflect on your experience learning and practicing the studio crafts for that unit and answer additional prompts based on the unit.

Response Paper #1 - Introductions

Write a 2 page response paper that includes the following 2 sections:

Part 1: Who are you? (1 page)

• What do you preferred to be called by me and your classmates?
• What motivated you to sign up for this course?
• What experience do you have, if any, with the ancient world? (previous courses you took, popular culture adaptations you have been exposed to, etc.)
• What experience do you have, if any, with fiber arts? If none, do you have any experience with other arts/crafts, or with art history?
• What are you most excited to learn about or try in this course? Use the syllabus as a guide to what units we will be covering, but feel free to also include here anything you don't see on the syllabus but would like to learn about.
• Is there anything else I should know about you? Is there anything you want to know about me?

Part 2: Studio reflection (1 page)

Write a reflection on your experience preparing fiber in studio time this unit. In structuring your response, consider the following questions (no need to answer them all):

• How was the process of preparing wool/flax similar to what you read about in the unit's readings? How was it different?
• Were there any questions you had from the readings that were answered through the studio work?
• Did the studio work change how you think about preparing fiber? How so?
• Did the studio work leave you with any new questions about the process of preparing fiber?
• Did you enjoy preparing fiber? What parts did you like or dislike?
• Do you feel like you have gained any insight into the ancient mindset?

Response Paper #2 - Experimental Archaeology

For this unit, you read a series of experimental archaeology articles on ancient spinning, and then you had a chance to try out spinning yourself.

In a 2-page response paper, respond to the question: Is experimental archaeology a valid way to investigate ancient spinning? Cite at least 2 of the readings from this unit.

Use the following questions to guide your response:

• What are some potential benefits and drawbacks to using an experimental archaeology approach to investigate ancient spinning?
• How did your experience spinning compare with the experiences of the experimenters whose works we read this unit?
• What, if anything, did you learn from the process of trying to spin? Did it change your perspective on spinning?

Response Paper #3 - Close reading

Write a 2 page response paper that includes the following 2 sections:

Part 1: Close readings (~ 1 page)

Write a close reading analysis of the close reading text from Herodotus found in Files. Make sure you are engaging closely with the text by referring back to specific places and/or quoting it often. You may want to bring in some of your outside knowledge from the other readings this unit in your analysis. You may use the following questions to guide your thinking, or focus on whatever you think is important in the text:

• What do you think is going on in this text? (summarize in your own words, define any technical language)
• What can we learn from this text about the customs of the Greeks?
• What can we learn from this text about the customs of the Egyptians?
• Where might we see bias in this text? How does it impact our reading?
• How does your knowledge of weaving help you explain the text? Does it influence your thinking of the reliability of Herodotus?

Part 2: Studio reflection (~ 1 page)

Write a reflection on your experience weaving in studio time this unit. In structuring your response, consider the following questions (no need to answer them all):

• How was the process of weaving similar to what you read about in the unit's readings? How was it different?
• Were there any questions you had from the readings that were answered through the studio work?
• Did the studio work leave you with any new questions about the process of weaving?
• Did you enjoy weaving? What parts did you like or dislike?
• Do you feel like you have gained any insight into the ancient mindset?

Response Paper #4 - Secondary Source Review

Choose one academic book chapter or article on ancient Mediterranean textile production that we have not read for class. The chapter or article must be at least 10 pages. I recommend choosing a text that you will be using for your final project, but it is not required.

Read your text and write a 2 page review including the following:

• A full citation of your text at the top of your paper
• If you choose a journal article, a brief summary of the purpose of the journal and what sort of texts they publish
• If you choose a chapter of a book, a brief summary of what the main purpose is of the book as a whole
• A brief summary of the main argument of the text
• A brief summary of the background of the author
• An explanation of what sort of evidence the author used to support their argument
• Your own opinion on the text, e.g.: what did you learn from the text? Are you convinced by the argument? Does the text support or contradict anything else we read for course? How will it be useful for you in researching your final project? Was it well written? Well organized? What can you learn from the stylistic choices of the author?

Response #5 - Cumulative review

Over the past 14 weeks you have learned a great deal about textile production in the ancient world. The purpose of this assessment is for you to show yourself what you know. By summarizing and restating what you have learned, you solidify the new knowledge in your memory and increase the chance that you will carry away more of this new knowledge with you.

Your answers also give me a chance to see what information has sunk in most effectively and what information that I intended to teach has slipped through the cracks.

This assessment will only be graded on completion. You may use your notes and books if you absolutely want to, but one of the main goals of this assessment is to exercise your memory and ability to rephrase what you have learned, so I encourage you to do it without any external aids.

There will be an option at the end to indicate whether you want feedback on your answers.

Congratulations on becoming such fiber scholars, and thank you all for a great semester!

Cumulative Review Questions

1. What are some of the cultures included under the umbrella "ancient Mediterranean"? Where and when are they located?
2. Describe the steps involved in going from a flock of sheep to a wool peplos in Classical Athens. Include who is likely to be doing each step (e.g. enslaved people, citizen women, male professionals, etc.)
3. What are the chief fibers involved in producing ancient Mediterranean textiles? [Optional: What are some other fibers used globally for textiles, but not very much in the Mediterranean?]
4. In your own words, what is spinning? What does it do, and what tools does it use?
5. In your own words, what is weaving? What tools are used in the ancient world for weaving?
6. As best you remember, describe at least one ancient author or text who mentions textile production in their literary work. If you don't remember the author or text name, describe what you do remember about the text.
7. In your own words, what is experimental archaeology?
8. What are some types of evidence that help us learn about ancient textile production?
9. To the best of your ability, describe some aspects of the following image. You can think about things like: What are the figures doing? What tools are depicted? What place and time is the image probably from? What else is notable about it?
10. What were some uses for textiles in the ancient world? Include as many as you can think of, and/or elaborate with specific examples of a particular use.
11. If you were to design a test for this course, what is one question you would include? Don't repeat anything that is already a question in this assessment.
12. Use this space to write about anything else that you learned in this course that stands out to you. In addition to information about ancient textile production, this could include new knowledge about the fields of classics and archaeology in general, or about research, writing, or crafting.
13. Would you like me to provide feedback on this assessment? This is fully optional.

Final project

For your final for this course you will explore one aspect of ancient textile production through a creative and written component. You should think of these as two parts of one work. Imagine your creative component as a museum display, and your written component as a lengthy placard next to it - explaining the work, its historical context, artistic decisions, and creative process.

Creative component:

The creative component will be a physical project connected to ancient textile production. This can be a piece of fiber art created through an adaptation of ancient techniques, a recreation or model of a tool used for textile production, a recreation in a different medium of a piece of ancient textile art, or something else that you pitch to me. The piece does not need to be the finished product itself, it can also be a process: e.g., a video documenting the process of creating natural dyes. Your creative component should display substantial effort and attention to detail, and a connection with the course material bolstered by the written component.

Requirements:

• A physical work that closely relates to ancient textile production
• Work displays substantial effort and attention to detail
• Work reflects your engagement with research on the ancient world and is closely related to the written component
• Finished piece is turned in to me for grading (method of delivery will vary depending on what you make)

Written component:

Think of this piece of writing as an extended informational placard displayed alongside your creative component. In 5 pages, it should explain to your audience the thought process behind your piece, the research that went into it, and how the piece contributes to our knowledge of ancient textile production. Any places where your creative piece diverges from the ancient evidence should be pointed out and explained in your written component. You should cite both primary and secondary sources and show an understanding of the preexisting research on your topic.

Requirements:

• 5 pages double spaced 12 pt font, i.e. ~1500-2000 words
• Cite at least 5 scholarly (secondary) sources and at least 2 primary sources (which can include specific archaeological artifacts)
• Accurate and consistent in-text citations and a Works Cited at the end
• Clearly explain the goals of the creative component and the research that contributed to its production
• Artistic choices must be noted and explained, including places where the creative component diverges from ancient evidence.
• Include a reflection on the creative process: what went well, and what are problems you encountered? Would you deal with those problems differently if you were to repeat the project?
• Paper is well organized and easy to follow with few to no typos or grammatical errors

Stages

See separate below for the full guidelines for each of the intermediary stages.

1. Project proposal: 15%

   You will pitch your project topic along with expected materials and budget.

2. Progress Update/Paper draft: 15%

   An update on your creative component progress and a draft of your paper.

3. In-Class Presentation: 20%

   A 7-10 minute oral report and presentation of your physical work.

4. Final Project + Paper Submission: 50%

   Final project submission of paper and creative component.

Project Proposal

In 1 paragraph, pitch your final project to me. In your proposal:

• Describe what your creative component will be and how it relates to the study of ancient Mediterranean textile production. This can take the form of a question about the ancient world you are trying to answer, a recreation of a certain artifact or process from the ancient world, a new artistic piece inspired by/using ancient techniques, or something else that you have thought of.
• List the supplies you expect to need. Present an estimate of the budget needed to purchase your supplies. Indicate whether you need support from the department in purchasing supplies and/or if you need support from me in finding sources for the supplies you want.
• Describe what areas you expect to need to do research in to complete the written component of your project

I will respond to your proposals with comments on how I think you might want to tweak your project moving forward. As part of the assignment, you will have to read and respond to my comments so that I know you have seen them. In addition, feel free to reach out any time throughout the final project process to ask me for help in research, idea development, or sourcing supplies.

Sample proposal:

For my final project, I will test the efficacy of ancient Greek fiber preparation techniques. I want to explore how much time it takes to wash and comb a fleece and how much of the wool in weight is discarded during that process. My supplies will include 1 complete sheep's fleece, a wooden wool comb, buckets/vats to wash the fleece in, and a gentle wool soap for scouring. I anticipate the total cost of supplies to be approximately $100. I would appreciate some departmental support to afford supplies. I am also able to reduce costs and time by buying only part of a fleece to process, instead of the whole thing. For my research, I will look into any previous experimental archaeology experiments in wool processing. I will also look at scholarship on wool processing in ancient Greece to see what the archaeological, iconographic, and literary evidence tells us about fiber preparation.

Project Update/Paper Draft

Submit a document that contains the following:

• Project update: ~1 paragraph update on your project describing your status and plans for completion. This can include what supplies you have/any you are waiting on, what you have already completed, and what you still have to complete. You can include photos/images if that helps illustrate more easily where you are at.
• Paper draft: A completed draft of your final paper. This should be the full length of your paper, though it doesn't have to be fully polished. Include your Works Cited at the end.

This draft submission will be graded based on submission. I will leave you detailed feedback on your draft which will be responsible for incorporating into your final paper submission.

In-class Presentation

Each of you will present a 7 minute oral presentation on your final project.

Your presentation should:

• Describe what topic or question about ancient textile production you explored
• Briefly summarize your research on your topic
• your creative component at whatever stage of completion you have it, either by showing us images, or by bringing in your actual project
• If your creative component is still mostly unfinished, describe to us what it will be when completed
• Include a set of slides or a handout that illustrates your key points and important sources

You will be graded on your adherence to the above guidelines and your clarity and delivery in presenting. Practice your presentation beforehand to make sure that you fit into the time limit and that you are able to speak confidently and smoothly.