Late Antique Textiles from the Papyrus Collection of the Austrian National Library

Book excerpt: MPER XXXIV, 2 presents knowledge of textile dyeing in Late Antique Egypt (ca. 300–800 CE) based on interdisciplinary research on 30 Late Antique textiles from the Papyrus Collection of the Austrian National Library, combining scientific analyses with the study of ancient and scholarly literature. The general part deals with the dyeing materials and techniques that were available in Late Antique Egypt to create a wide variety of colours. The catalogue part contains the scientific analyses of 85 samples of 30 Late Antique textiles from this collection. The results of dye, fibre and mordant analyses are documented with UHPLC chromatograms, UV/VIS absorption spectra, SEM-EDX spectra, microscopic images and tables. Textiles in which specific dyeing materials have been identified are listed in the appendices including textiles from the Papyrus Collection of the Austrian National Library as well as archaeological textiles from numerous international projects. A detailed bibliography completes this volume. MPER XXXIV, 1 – the first comprehensive compilation of Late Antique textiles from the Papyrus collection of the Austrian Library – provides an overall study of these 30 textiles and 208 more including iconography and the analyses of the weaving techniques. MPER XXXIV, 1 and 2 can also be purchased as a set.