From textiles to sheep: investigating wool fibre development in pre-Roman Italy using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

The first diachronic investigation of wool fibre from Italian pre-Roman archeological contexts was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A total of 22 archaeological wool samples from 10 Italian and one Austrian site dating from the Middle Bronze Age to the Roman period were analysed. The results demonstrate the processing of wool and development of sheep fleece from primitive wool with very fine underwool and very coarse kemps to the disappearance of kemp and coarser but more uniform fleece. By the end of the Iron Age several fleece qualities coexisted in Italy, possibly indicating the presence of different breeds. Classification of the wool qualities based on existing systems was problematic leading to a conclusion that a more nuanced approach to the classification of archaeological material is needed.

► First diachronic investigation of wool fibre from pre-Roman Italy. ► Existing wool quality classification systems are discussed. ► Bronze Age wool was primitive with very fine underwool and very coarse kemps. ► Over time kemp has disappeared and coarser but more uniform fleece developed. ► Necessity to focus on the uninterrupted range rather than the outliers is argued for.