Determining traditional skin processing technologies : the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of experimental samples, prehistoric archaeological finds and ethnographic objects
The importance of skin processing technologies, in the history and dispersal of humankind around the planet cannot be overstated. This area of material culture is often underrepresented as a research topic, and has been hampered, in part, by the lack of a systematic analysis methodology targeted at specifically this material type. This research aimed to develop a methodology for determining the tanning technologies in use during prehistory, from extant archaeologically recovered processed skin objects. The methodology is a product of macroscopic and microscopic observations of a large sample reference collection, used to produce a database of defining characteristics and tendencies for each of six tannage types. The sample collection is made up of twenty-two species identified as economically important from both Europe and North America. Six sample pieces of skin were taken from a single individual of each of the twenty-two species, and processed using six tanning technologies, the use of which covered a large geographic area and time frame. A second reference collection of clothing and utilitarian items, made from traditionally processed skins, was used to add a section of in-life use traces to the database
Emmerich Kamper, Theresa
Hide ; skin ; leather ; tanning ; archaeology ; animal procurement ; animal processing ; prehistory ; vegetable tanning ; fat/oil tanning ; alum tawing ; urine tanning ; material culture ; rawhide
Determining traditional skin processing technologies : the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of experimental samples, prehistoric archaeological finds and ethnographic objects. The importance of skin processing technologies, in the history and dispersal of humankind around the planet cannot be overstated. This area of material culture is often underrepresented as a research topic, and has been hampered, in part, by the lack of a systematic analysis methodology targeted at specifically this material type. This research aimed to develop a methodology for determining the tanning technologies in use during prehistory, from extant archaeologically recovered processed skin objects. The methodology is a product of macroscopic and microscopic observations of a large sample reference collection, used to produce a database of defining characteristics and tendencies for each of six tannage types. The sample collection is made up of twenty-two species identified as economically important from both Europe and North America. Six sample pieces of skin were taken from a single individual of each of the twenty-two species, and processed using six tanning technologies, the use of which covered a large geographic area and time frame. A second reference collection of clothing and utilitarian items, made from traditionally processed skins, was used to add a section of in-life use traces to the database
determining traditional skin processing technology macroscopic_microscopic characteristic experimental sample prehistoric archaeological find ethnographic object importance skin processing technology history dispersal humankind around planet area material_culture often underrepresented topic hamper part lack systematic_analysis target specifically material type aim_develop determine technology_use prehistory extant archaeologically recover process skin object product macroscopic_microscopic observation large_sample reference_collection use produce database define_characteristic tendency type sample collection make twenty_two specie identify economically important europe_north_america sample piece skin take single individual twenty_two specie process use technology_use cover large geographic_area time_frame second reference_collection clothing utilitarian item make traditionally processed skin use add section life use trace database