Site Vindolanda Context Vindolanda Excavation year 1974

Dimensions L. 20 mm W. 11 mm Preservation state organic Fabric structure tabby

Pattern The pattern is based on a combination of dark brown and light brown yarns, repeating in both thread systems. The darker yarn is about Munsell 5YR 3/I, the lighter yarn 5YR 3/2, but the overall effect is dark, and the cloth at first sight appears to be striped, not check. In System (I) the repeat is consistently after I6 threads of each colour, in System (2) after 20 threads (each stripe is c. 3.5 cm wide). Despite colour differ ences the yarns s eem t o be similar in weight. The quality of the spin, which i s not very good, is consistent. Borders Fringe: In piece Inv. no. 53 a badly preserved fringe is made up of 2 threads of System (2), S-plied together and now heavily felted (c. 1 cm long). In Inv. no. 60 the construction is the same, but one strand has 4 yarns of System (2) in it, up to 2 cm long. Edges Inv. no. 56 carries a small fragment of selvedge (4cm long), in which the weft yarn returns plain-weave over a reinforced outer warp-cord. The cord consists of 6 ordinary warp-threads, not plied together. It is unfortunately not clear from the surviving fragments whether the fringe and the selvedge were on opposite or adjacent sides of the original piece of cloth. Selvedge type reinforced Other features Weaving fault: The cloth was found folded and badly damaged, so a systematic search for faults was pointless. However, in System (I) a pair of yarns was noted worked together in error. Dimensions of the surviving fragments: no.53 20 x IIcm; no.55 very small; no.56 6 x 4.5cm; no.57 I8 x IOcm; no.58 4~5 x 5cm; no.59 I8 x IOcm; no.60 I2 x 9cm; no.62 13 x 10 cm; no.63 9 x 5 . Scm; no.64 5 .x 5cm; no.65 c.II x c.8cm. Fleece analysis MLR a, generalised medium is the light yarn; MLR b, hairy medium is the dark yarn.