2 - Old Finds Rediscovered: Two Early Medieval Headdresses from the National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden, the Netherlands

Summary

In the early years of the twentieth century, the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the Netherlands, obtained several textile finds from early medieval settlements in the north of the country. Among these finds were two items of headwear: a pillbox cap from Leens, which dates to between 600 and 900, and a headdress from Dokkum–Berg Sion, which recently has been radiocarbon-dated to the period 568–651. The hat from Leens was put on display for a while, was recorded, and afterward disappeared in the organic storage of the museum. The headdress from Dokkum–Berg Sion was never recognized as such and spent its days in the storage of the museum as well. Recently both artifacts were rediscovered and analyzed by the author.

Because no restoration had been conducted on the finds and no linings had been fixed in them, it was possible to analyze the objects in detail, from both the inside as well as the outside. Sewing techniques and the order in which the pieces were put together could be reconstructed and will be presented in this article. The results shed light on a range of questions concerning the production and use of the headdresses: How were they made? What techniques were used? How were they worn and by whom? And lastly, how can we relate these items to other finds from the sixth to ninth centuries?

THE FRISIANS AND THEIR SETTLEMENTS IN THE NORTHERN COASTAL AREA OF THE NETHERLANDS

The northern coastal area of the Netherlands has been inhabited since the early Iron Age, which in this region started around 750 BC.