Queen Arnegundis

[frualeydis]

The remnants of Queen Arnegunde (frankish, 6th century) have been examined again, by Antoinette Rast-Eicher, for the first time since the 1950s. More pieces have been found while some that were there fifty years ago are now gone. Better analysis has "corrected" previous interpretations and this is (a very bad photo) of the new reconstruction.



As you can see it is a photo of a Powerpoint presentation. For a better picture we will have to wait for the conference report.

Comments

[ragnvaeig.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever seen a schematic reconstruction of the earlier interpretation. How different is it, would you say?

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

There was one published in the 80s I think, where the belt went under the red fabric.

/Eva

[hlinspjalda.livejournal.com]

Did she do an analysis of the textiles themselves, as to weave structure, etc.? Or are LBJ's and France-Lanord's still authoritative?

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

They did new weave analysis, although I don't remember the details from that part, so I don't know if they made the same conclusions.

/Eva

[hlinspjalda.livejournal.com]

That's good, because the information in the literature sometimes conflicts, particularly on the violet textile. Wow, this will be exciting; thanks for posting!

[knightsmarshall.livejournal.com]

My knowledge on this time period's costuming is quite sparse being more interested in 12th-13th century stuff but how common is the seperate skirt / tunic style of women's dress? Any idea why it changed to a single dress? Fashion?

Very cool though. Thank you!

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I might have misunderstood you, but just in case I would like to point out that this is not a separate skirt and tunic, she has a linen undertunic and this gown with a front opening and a veil.
I the separate skirt disappears sometime in the Iron Age, but it really is very far from my field of expertise too.

/Eva

[pearl]

I the separate skirt disappears sometime in the Iron Age, but it really is very far from my field of expertise too.

There seems to a lot of people who have reverse-engineered modern, skirted folk costumes, back to the middle ages who mention medieval separate skirts.
The main book that springs to mind, is
Linda Welters [ed] (1999) Folk Dress in Europe and Anatolia Berg Publishes. ISBN:1859732879, with the article by E.J.W. Barber on the poneva apron/skirt worn in Eastern Europe.

There is also the theory about a 'Goddess' on the Oseberg tapestry wearing a seperate skirt and shirt. There is also a theory of the Rus' women wearing poneva, see here for a translation, and there's a bracelet that is believed to show the skirt.
There's a line drawing on page 713 of Folk Dress in Europe and Anatolia online at Google books.

It also shows up in some Latvian dress reconstructions, with a linen underdress, and a woolen skirt wrapped around the waist. I can dig up some better references than just websites if you'd like, but here is a bunch of photos of what I mean. (The other major reconstruction theory seems to favour peplos-style overdresses. Both of them can be seen in a 17th century sketch of Lithuanians, page 55 of Ancient Finnish Costumes.)

As you can tell, I'm heavily biased towards North-Eastern Europe, so I'm not sure about any other examples. But I hope the information helps.

Especially since Arnegunde wasn't wearing a chemise and skirt in anything I've read.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I forgot about the eastern Europe, since I tend to a bias to north and western Europe :)
But Oseberg is Iron Age too, so it fits (in the nordic countries the Middle Ages start approx. 1000 and viking age is just a subcategory to iron age). Anyway, most folk costumes were recorded and in many case reconstructed in the 19th century so they're not a good source to early medieval dress.

/Eva

[pearl]

It always surprises me the amount of Eastern European medieval/late iron age dress that seems to be based on what people wore in the 19th century.
The work of archaeologists like Audrone Bliujiene, where the original archaelogical reports are examined, and then compared with contemporary finds, instead of with what a 19th century peasant wore.

The Baltic dress seemed to have been worn up to the 12th century, which correlates with Crusader-period Finnish peplos dresses too. Depending on your definition of where the Iron age ends, and the Middle ages again, in that corner of the world, it seems the middle ages didn't really start till the 12-13th centuries. So, you're right that it doesn't seem to be a medieval thing.

(I just read a lot, not an expert at all. And I ramble, sorry.)

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Well your opinion matches the one of baltic archaeologists ;)

/Eva

[patrikia.livejournal.com]

The separate skirt and tunic appears in the Northern Caucuses Moshchevaja Balka finds, which is 9th-10th century.

[knightsmarshall.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, that's what happens when you take to Australians, we speak a different English! We have a hell of a time trying to understand Americans.
: )

Thanks for that!

Alex

Arnegonde schematic reconstruction

[(Anonymous)]

If you're looking for a schematic reconstruction of the queen Arnegonde, you'll find one on the website, in the game "Aregonde, a queen and her finery". You have to complete the game to see the drawings or you can use the print button to open a pdf file with a screen shot of the drawings of Michel Fleury and Patrick Perin.
Link to the game (http://www.saint-denis.culture.fr/en/jeux.htm?jeu=mp03.swf)
Link the pdf file (http://www.saint-denis.culture.fr/en/mp03_pdf_3.pdf)

Re: Arnegonde schematic reconstruction

[knightsmarshall.livejournal.com]

That's great! Thanks for the link.

bTW did you get my medieval underwear pics?