Textile cultures of Mediterranean Europe in the early 1st millennium BC: technology, tradition, aesthetics and identity

Analyses of archaeological textiles indicates that, during the 1st millennium BC, textile cultures of Mediterranean Europe (Greece, Italy and Spain) were based on different technological and aesthetic traditions. These traditions can be connected with broader geographical regions: Greece followed the Near Eastern pattern; Italy was closely connected with the Eastern Hallstatt Culture; while Spain (although the evidence is still very limited) appears to have had similarities with by the Western Hallstatt trends. Given the importance of textiles in creating individual and group identities, and at the same time the conservative nature of the textile craft, how did the technical and aesthetic differences between these textile cultures affected dress and attire in the region? The paper with examine the extant archaeological evidence and discuss the implications of textile data for addressing identities through attire in the ancient societies.