Textile Production and Consumption in Roman Venetia (Italy): preliminary results of the study of mineralised fibres and textiles

This paper summarises the results of the TRAMA (Textiles in Roman Archaeology: Methods and Analysis) project, which aims to analyse Roman textiles from Venetia. As elsewhere in Italy, because of the unfavourable climatic conditions and geological features, fibres, yarns and textiles are rarely preserved in this area, with only one Roman fabric known until recently. This project focuses on a systematic census of organic and mineralised fabrics, in order to better understand textile production and consumption patterns in the region, which was praised for the high quality of its textile products by contemporary writers. To date, 29 artefacts with preserved, mineralised textile traces have been recorded and analysed. These are predominantly bronze or iron objects that were excavated from funerary contexts in urban (the main Roman cities of Veneto including Padua, Verona, Altino, Este) and rural cemeteries of Venetia. The textile traces include linen and wool fabrics of various qualities. This study provides new data regarding textile production and the funerary rituals, offering for the first time a picture of textiles produced in the area.