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Penelope Walton Rogers

University of York, Archaeology, Adjunct

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Proprietor of The Anglo-Saxon Laboratory, www.aslab.co.uk
Honorary Visiting Fellow, University of York

Penelope Walton Rogers is an archaeological project manager with special skills in post-excavation analysis. Her field of expertise is the early medieval period (the 5th to 11th centuries AD) in north-west Europe. The company she runs, The Anglo-Saxon Laboratory, provides a range of academic and professional services, described at www.aslab.co.uk

Penelope’s personal research interests are the reconstruction of women’s lives through the archaeological record; regional, cultural and political borders; migration patterns; costume and textiles; and the many facets of paganism and ritual practice, including the transition to Christianity.

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Papers by Penelope Walton Rogers

Organic Remains in the Hoard from Balmaghie, Dumfries and Galloway, otherwise known as the Galloway Hoard

Report on behalf of AOC Archaeology, Historic Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland, 2016

The report and catalogue (pages 1-33) were produced in 2016 on behalf of AOC Archaeology and Hist... more The report and catalogue (pages 1-33) were produced in 2016 on behalf of AOC Archaeology and Historic Environment Scotland in consultation with National Museums Scotland. Part 2 (pages 34-39) represents a compilation of material produced in 2018-2019 at the request of National Museums Scotland. It outlines strategies (intended for an AHRC grant application) which would place the hoard organics in the context of early medieval Northumbria, north Britain in the Viking Age and hoarding practices in general.

Chapter 5. Textile networks in Viking-Age towns of Britain and Ireland

Crafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns, 2020

This chapter reviews the role of women in textile production, and the networks they formed as the... more This chapter reviews the role of women in textile production, and the networks they formed as they moved from a rural to an urban environment. Much of the earliest evidence from towns appears to replicate that of the rural industry, but during the course of the 10th century there was an increasing distinction, in tools and products, between Anglo-Saxon towns and their hinterlands. In a separate development, in Viking Dublin, Norse technology appeared alongside that of the native Irish. Overall, this was a period when urban cloth-makers were drawing on a local supply network, mainly for household consumption, but there were also some signs of the beginnings of trade. Essentially, this can be regarded as a transitional phase which laid the foundations for the urban craft gilds and the export trade of the late medieval period.

Non-ferrous metal-working networks in Scandinavian-influenced towns of Britain and Ireland Walton Rogers 2020 Ch.12

Crafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns, 2020

The networks formed by non-ferrous smiths (who worked with copper, tin, lead, silver, gold and th... more The networks formed by non-ferrous smiths (who worked with copper, tin, lead, silver, gold and their alloys) changed as they moved from rural estates into the developing towns of the Viking Age. It is argued that they acquired greater freedom to form new social networks with other craft-workers; that they assimilated new ideas from the mix of people in the trading ports; and that they developed new ways of making their wares available. Their trade connections could be local, regional and international, their networks would fluctuate over time, and their influences and acquisition of technical knowledge could be one-way or reciprocal. Overall, the period saw increased production of goods made of relatively cheap raw materials and the use of shortcut techniques, which made available a range of inexpensive products to the citizens of Viking Age towns.

J. Banck-Burgess, A. Göppelröder, H. Preuß und P. Walton Rogers, Textilarchäologische Untersuchungen der Baumbestattung 974 aus dem Gräberfeld von Lauchheim „Wasserfurche“

by Johanna Banck-Burgess and Penelope Walton Rogers

Lauchheim I. Beitrage zur Computertomographie als Dokumentationsmethode, zur Textilarchaologie und zur Bestattungspraxis in der fruhen Merowingerzeit. Forschungen und Berichte zur Archäologie in Baden-Württemberg Band 8, 2020

Pewter Funerary Chalices and Patens from York Minster

Medieval Archaeology, 2015

IT HAS BEEN accepted for many years that, unlike their silver counterparts, pewter chalices and p... more IT HAS BEEN accepted for many years that, unlike their silver counterparts, pewter chalices and patens found in priestly burials continued largely unchanged in form throughout the medieval period; this means that the presence of a pewter chalice or paten does not in itself currently offer any reliable dating of a related burial beyond a broad 13th–16th-century timeframe. Pewter chalices and patens recovered from 25 burials within York Minster between 1966 and 1973 are thought to represent the largest collection found within one church in England, and initial assessment of this collection and its related excavation data indicated that it offered the possibility of providing findspots for some of the vessels from recorded burials or dated archaeological sequences, and thus to provide more examples of tightly drawn dating. In the event, it has been possible to assign a single chalice and paten set to a recorded individual, and to provide others with periods within which, or after which, burial occurred. Scrutiny of the objects also resulted in the identification of two distinct forms of paten, one of which was shown in seven instances to bear incised motifs which had not been noted or commented upon previously.

WaltonRogers & Thompson 2018 Broechem Gender

by Penelope Walton Rogers and Matthew Thompson

Chapter 7. Gender and costume in the Merovingian cemetery at Broechem, Belgium. In R Annaert, Het vroegmiddeleeuwse grafveld van Broechem (The early medieval cemetery of Broechem), Vol.1, Analyse (Analysis), pp132-171. Bonn (Habelt), 2018

This chapter, from a two-volume work on a large Merovingian cemetery near Antwerp, reviews distin... more This chapter, from a two-volume work on a large Merovingian cemetery near Antwerp, reviews distinctions in gender revealed by the archaeology. Subjects include location and size of knives, presence/absence of pots, the identity of leather and textiles, and the positioning of accessories such weaponry, beads and spindle whorls. Significant changes in costume styles are reviewed. The whole reveals a shifting pattern of gender-related social identity over the 5th to 7th centuries.

A mysterious little piece: a compound-weave textile incorporating sea silk from the Natural History Museum, London

by Felicitas Maeder and Penelope Walton Rogers

Archaeological Textiles Review No. 61, 2019

Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historica... more Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historical sources, but only rarely
identified scientifically in extant textilles. This paper describes the microscopy of the fibres in a textile held in the Cuming
Collection at the Natural History Museum in London. The textile is a compound weave that incorporates yarns made of sea
silk, ordinary cultivated silk and a fine animal coat fibre. The fibres were identified by a combination of transmitted-light,
polarised-light and scanning electron microscopy. There is little documentation concerning the origin of the piece, but it is
likely to be18th-century Italian and may have come from a waistcoat.

A mysterious little piece: A compound-weave textile incorporating sea silk from the Natural History Museum, London (ATR 61: 114-121)

by Margarita Gleba and Penelope Walton Rogers

Archaeological Textiles Review, 2019

Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historica... more Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historical sources, but only rarely identified scientifically in extant textiles. This paper describes the microscopy of the fibres in a textile held in the Cuming Collection at the Natural History Museum in London. The textile is a compound weave that incorporates yarns made of sea silk, ordinary cultivated silk and a fine animal coat fibre. The fibres were identified by a combination of transmitted-light, polarised-light and scanning electron microscopy. There is little documentation concerning the origin of the piece, but it is likely to be18th-century Italian and may have come from a waistcoat.

Walton Rogers 2012 Dover Buckland

Walton Rogers Dover Buckland costume, 2012

Out of the 244 graves in this cemetery, 151 bodies were buried with costume accessories and/or te... more Out of the 244 graves in this cemetery, 151 bodies were buried with costume accessories and/or textiles. The evidence had a bias towards the burials of adult females, although useful evidence was also acquired for the graves of adult males and juveniles. Using the protocol described in Walton Rogers 2007, Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England, the arrangement of costume accessories in the graves was reviewed and dress styles identified. The textile evidence, including tablet weaves, gold thread and button loops, was then appended, and other organic materials, including cords, feathers and animal pelts, were incorporated. Using evidence from a range of sites, the development of East Kent women's costume was presented as a sequence of Dress Styles. The implications, including the evidence for the short-term adoption of Frankish fashions, are discussed. Noteworthy features include the function of iron coil-headed pins (not garment-fasteners); a string of brooches tied together by a cord and placed on the body; developments in necklace fashions; the function of tabby repps recovered from the waist area; 2/1 twills; fine ZS diamond twills with a 20 x 18 pattern repeat; and vertical tablet bands which may represent the border of a warrior jacket, from two men's graves.

A Fragment of Worked Rock Crystal from Anglo-Norman York

St Joseph's Convent York, Report on an Archaeological Excavation , 2018

The shape of the crystal has been reconstructed as a domed or hog-backed gemstone of a type used ... more

From farm to town: the changing pattern of textile production in Anglo-Saxon England

Dynamics and Organisation of Textile Production in Past Societies in Europe and the Mediterranean, Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae, Fasc.31, 103-114. Łódź: Polish Academy of Sciences, 2018

This paper reviews the archaeological evidence for the Anglo-Saxon textile industry. It argues th... more This paper reviews the archaeological evidence for the Anglo-Saxon textile industry. It argues that through much of the Anglo-Saxon period (the 5th to 11th centuries AD), textile production was a farm-based, rural industry. The Middle period, however, saw the appearance of large estate centres, producing high quality goods for an elite group, while in centres of population, such as wics, non-farming households were making cloth with the same tools as in the farmsteads. As towns began to emerge, opportunities for local and overseas trade increased. Textile production in Late Anglo-Saxon towns can be seen as a phase of technological, social and economic change, as a local supply network was established and foundations were laid for both urban gilds and the export trade in the Anglo-Norman period (later 11th and 12th centuries AD). The countryside, however, remained a producer and was ready to take on greater importance in later centuries.

The Ties that Bind: Fur-Fibre Cordage and Associated Material from Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo Sites in Eastern Canada

by Philip Greaves and Penelope Walton Rogers

The Ties that Bind, 2018

Over 160 finds of cordage made of white animal fur have been recovered from excavations of Dorset... more Over 160 finds of cordage made of white animal fur have been recovered from excavations of Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo sites in the vicinity of Baffin Island, eastern Canada. Almost as many fragments of animal pelts and loose fibres have been excavated in the same sites. This report describes the structure of the cords and the appearance of the pelts, but the main emphasis is on the identification by microscopy of the fur fibres. The evidence shows that while a wide range of wild species was available as pelts, the coat of the Arctic hare was the primary source for cordage, with Arctic fox fur as a significant contributor. A selection of comparative material from Norse and Inuit sites in Greenland has been included. The study was carried out on behalf of the Helluland Archaeological Project. FULL TEXT available from Pangur Press, http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/

Walton Rogers, P, 2016, ‘The copper-alloy belt set’ pp60-4 in A.Crone and E. Hindmarch, Living and Dying at Auldhame, East Lothian: the Excavation of an Anglian Monastic Settlement and Medieval Parish Church. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

An ornamented copper-alloy buckle and matching strap-end were recovered from a Viking Age grave, ... more

De dubbele waterput uit het laat-Romeinse castellum van Oudenburg (prov. West-Vlaanderen): tafonomie, chronologie en interpretatie

by Wim De Clercq, Penelope Walton Rogers, Koen Deforce, and Jan Bastiaens

Relicta, 2009

This article focuses on a remarkable well structure that was brought to light by the Flemish Heri... more This article focuses on a remarkable well structure that was brought to light by the Flemish Heritage Institute during recent archaeological research at the south-western corner of the Saxon Shore fort at Oudenburg (2001-2005). The site of Oudenburg is situated 8 km from the Flemish coastline, in the polder area between Bruges and Ostend. During Roman times however, positioned strategically on an elevated sandy ridge, the site overlooked the coastal plain consisting of mudflats and marshes intersected by natural gullies. The remains of the ...

Chapter 6, Chronology, from Walton Rogers, P, 2013, Tyttel’s Halh: The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Tittleshall, Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology

Full volume available at http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/

Walton Rogers, P, 2006, ‘Textiles’ in M Brickley, S Buteux, J Adams, R Cherrington, St Martin’s Uncovered: Investigations in the Churchyard of St Martin’s-in-the-Bull Ring, Birmingham, 2001, 163-178 (with seven colour plates between pp163-178). Oxford: Oxbow.

Walton Rogers, P, 2012, ‘Textiles, pelts and related organic finds’, pp197-217 in G Sveinbjarnardóttir, Reykholt: Archaeological Investigations at a High Status Farm in Western Iceland, Publications of the National Museum of Iceland, 29. Reykjavik: Snorrastofa and the National Museum of Iceland.

p b ofthp pantry buildin& which belongs to W same p b c of occupation. The finds h the Phase 5 pa... more

Response to Sinding et al

Modeling Deamidation in Sheep α-Keratin Peptides and Application to Archeological Wool Textiles

by Jolon Dyer, Caroline Solazzo, and Penelope Walton Rogers

Analytical Chemistry, 2014

Deamidation of glutamine (Q) and asparagine (N) has been recognized as a marker of degradation an... more Deamidation of glutamine (Q) and asparagine (N) has been recognized as a marker of degradation and aging in ancient proteins. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to study deamidation in wool textiles, we identified eight peptides from α-keratin proteins in sheep wool that could potentially be used to assess the level of degradation. For each chosen peptide, the extent of deamidation was determined by comparing the calculated theoretical distribution with the measured distribution using a genetic algorithm that gives the best fit to the measured distribution. Variations in the levels of deamidation were observed between peptides and in modern wool samples buried for up to 8 years in which deamidation levels were relatively low under short-term burial. In contrast, deamidation was higher in archeological textile fragments from medieval sites ranging from the 9th to 13th century in York (United Kingdom) and Newcastle (United Kingdom) and from the 13th to 16th century in Reykholt (Iceland). Major differences were observed between the British and the Icelandic samples, showing a negative correlation between age of samples and levels of deamidation, but highlighting the effect of local environment. In addition, nanoscale liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC−ESI-MS/MS) data indicated that deamidation in wool's α-keratin was influenced by primary and higher-order structures. Predominance of deamidation on glutamine rather than asparagine in the archeological samples was attributed to a higher abundance of Q in the α-helical core domain of keratins, neighboring residues and steric hindrance preventing deamidation of N.

‘Choicest unguents’: molecular evidence for the use of resinous plant exudates in late Roman mortuary rites in Britain

by Nicole Reifarth, Penelope Walton Rogers, and Carl Heron

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2015

Resinous substances were highly prized in the ancient world for use in ritual contexts. Details g... more Resinous substances were highly prized in the ancient world for use in ritual contexts. Details gleaned from classical literature indicate that they played a significant role in Roman mortuary rites, in treatment of the body and as offerings at the tomb. Outside of Egypt, however, where research has shown that a range of plant exudates were applied as part of the mummification process, resins have rarely been identified in the burial record. This is despite considerable speculation regarding their use across the Roman Empire.

Organic Remains in the Hoard from Balmaghie, Dumfries and Galloway, otherwise known as the Galloway Hoard

Report on behalf of AOC Archaeology, Historic Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland, 2016

The report and catalogue (pages 1-33) were produced in 2016 on behalf of AOC Archaeology and Hist... more The report and catalogue (pages 1-33) were produced in 2016 on behalf of AOC Archaeology and Historic Environment Scotland in consultation with National Museums Scotland. Part 2 (pages 34-39) represents a compilation of material produced in 2018-2019 at the request of National Museums Scotland. It outlines strategies (intended for an AHRC grant application) which would place the hoard organics in the context of early medieval Northumbria, north Britain in the Viking Age and hoarding practices in general.

Chapter 5. Textile networks in Viking-Age towns of Britain and Ireland

Crafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns, 2020

This chapter reviews the role of women in textile production, and the networks they formed as the... more This chapter reviews the role of women in textile production, and the networks they formed as they moved from a rural to an urban environment. Much of the earliest evidence from towns appears to replicate that of the rural industry, but during the course of the 10th century there was an increasing distinction, in tools and products, between Anglo-Saxon towns and their hinterlands. In a separate development, in Viking Dublin, Norse technology appeared alongside that of the native Irish. Overall, this was a period when urban cloth-makers were drawing on a local supply network, mainly for household consumption, but there were also some signs of the beginnings of trade. Essentially, this can be regarded as a transitional phase which laid the foundations for the urban craft gilds and the export trade of the late medieval period.

Non-ferrous metal-working networks in Scandinavian-influenced towns of Britain and Ireland Walton Rogers 2020 Ch.12

Crafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns, 2020

The networks formed by non-ferrous smiths (who worked with copper, tin, lead, silver, gold and th... more The networks formed by non-ferrous smiths (who worked with copper, tin, lead, silver, gold and their alloys) changed as they moved from rural estates into the developing towns of the Viking Age. It is argued that they acquired greater freedom to form new social networks with other craft-workers; that they assimilated new ideas from the mix of people in the trading ports; and that they developed new ways of making their wares available. Their trade connections could be local, regional and international, their networks would fluctuate over time, and their influences and acquisition of technical knowledge could be one-way or reciprocal. Overall, the period saw increased production of goods made of relatively cheap raw materials and the use of shortcut techniques, which made available a range of inexpensive products to the citizens of Viking Age towns.

J. Banck-Burgess, A. Göppelröder, H. Preuß und P. Walton Rogers, Textilarchäologische Untersuchungen der Baumbestattung 974 aus dem Gräberfeld von Lauchheim „Wasserfurche“

by Johanna Banck-Burgess and Penelope Walton Rogers

Lauchheim I. Beitrage zur Computertomographie als Dokumentationsmethode, zur Textilarchaologie und zur Bestattungspraxis in der fruhen Merowingerzeit. Forschungen und Berichte zur Archäologie in Baden-Württemberg Band 8, 2020

Pewter Funerary Chalices and Patens from York Minster

Medieval Archaeology, 2015

IT HAS BEEN accepted for many years that, unlike their silver counterparts, pewter chalices and p... more IT HAS BEEN accepted for many years that, unlike their silver counterparts, pewter chalices and patens found in priestly burials continued largely unchanged in form throughout the medieval period; this means that the presence of a pewter chalice or paten does not in itself currently offer any reliable dating of a related burial beyond a broad 13th–16th-century timeframe. Pewter chalices and patens recovered from 25 burials within York Minster between 1966 and 1973 are thought to represent the largest collection found within one church in England, and initial assessment of this collection and its related excavation data indicated that it offered the possibility of providing findspots for some of the vessels from recorded burials or dated archaeological sequences, and thus to provide more examples of tightly drawn dating. In the event, it has been possible to assign a single chalice and paten set to a recorded individual, and to provide others with periods within which, or after which, burial occurred. Scrutiny of the objects also resulted in the identification of two distinct forms of paten, one of which was shown in seven instances to bear incised motifs which had not been noted or commented upon previously.

WaltonRogers & Thompson 2018 Broechem Gender

by Penelope Walton Rogers and Matthew Thompson

Chapter 7. Gender and costume in the Merovingian cemetery at Broechem, Belgium. In R Annaert, Het vroegmiddeleeuwse grafveld van Broechem (The early medieval cemetery of Broechem), Vol.1, Analyse (Analysis), pp132-171. Bonn (Habelt), 2018

This chapter, from a two-volume work on a large Merovingian cemetery near Antwerp, reviews distin... more This chapter, from a two-volume work on a large Merovingian cemetery near Antwerp, reviews distinctions in gender revealed by the archaeology. Subjects include location and size of knives, presence/absence of pots, the identity of leather and textiles, and the positioning of accessories such weaponry, beads and spindle whorls. Significant changes in costume styles are reviewed. The whole reveals a shifting pattern of gender-related social identity over the 5th to 7th centuries.

A mysterious little piece: a compound-weave textile incorporating sea silk from the Natural History Museum, London

by Felicitas Maeder and Penelope Walton Rogers

Archaeological Textiles Review No. 61, 2019

Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historica... more Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historical sources, but only rarely
identified scientifically in extant textilles. This paper describes the microscopy of the fibres in a textile held in the Cuming
Collection at the Natural History Museum in London. The textile is a compound weave that incorporates yarns made of sea
silk, ordinary cultivated silk and a fine animal coat fibre. The fibres were identified by a combination of transmitted-light,
polarised-light and scanning electron microscopy. There is little documentation concerning the origin of the piece, but it is
likely to be18th-century Italian and may have come from a waistcoat.

A mysterious little piece: A compound-weave textile incorporating sea silk from the Natural History Museum, London (ATR 61: 114-121)

by Margarita Gleba and Penelope Walton Rogers

Archaeological Textiles Review, 2019

Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historica... more Sea silk, derived from the beard of the Pinna nobilis clam, has often been described in historical sources, but only rarely identified scientifically in extant textiles. This paper describes the microscopy of the fibres in a textile held in the Cuming Collection at the Natural History Museum in London. The textile is a compound weave that incorporates yarns made of sea silk, ordinary cultivated silk and a fine animal coat fibre. The fibres were identified by a combination of transmitted-light, polarised-light and scanning electron microscopy. There is little documentation concerning the origin of the piece, but it is likely to be18th-century Italian and may have come from a waistcoat.

Walton Rogers 2012 Dover Buckland

Walton Rogers Dover Buckland costume, 2012

Out of the 244 graves in this cemetery, 151 bodies were buried with costume accessories and/or te... more Out of the 244 graves in this cemetery, 151 bodies were buried with costume accessories and/or textiles. The evidence had a bias towards the burials of adult females, although useful evidence was also acquired for the graves of adult males and juveniles. Using the protocol described in Walton Rogers 2007, Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England, the arrangement of costume accessories in the graves was reviewed and dress styles identified. The textile evidence, including tablet weaves, gold thread and button loops, was then appended, and other organic materials, including cords, feathers and animal pelts, were incorporated. Using evidence from a range of sites, the development of East Kent women's costume was presented as a sequence of Dress Styles. The implications, including the evidence for the short-term adoption of Frankish fashions, are discussed. Noteworthy features include the function of iron coil-headed pins (not garment-fasteners); a string of brooches tied together by a cord and placed on the body; developments in necklace fashions; the function of tabby repps recovered from the waist area; 2/1 twills; fine ZS diamond twills with a 20 x 18 pattern repeat; and vertical tablet bands which may represent the border of a warrior jacket, from two men's graves.

A Fragment of Worked Rock Crystal from Anglo-Norman York

St Joseph's Convent York, Report on an Archaeological Excavation , 2018

The shape of the crystal has been reconstructed as a domed or hog-backed gemstone of a type used ... more

From farm to town: the changing pattern of textile production in Anglo-Saxon England

Dynamics and Organisation of Textile Production in Past Societies in Europe and the Mediterranean, Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae, Fasc.31, 103-114. Łódź: Polish Academy of Sciences, 2018

This paper reviews the archaeological evidence for the Anglo-Saxon textile industry. It argues th... more This paper reviews the archaeological evidence for the Anglo-Saxon textile industry. It argues that through much of the Anglo-Saxon period (the 5th to 11th centuries AD), textile production was a farm-based, rural industry. The Middle period, however, saw the appearance of large estate centres, producing high quality goods for an elite group, while in centres of population, such as wics, non-farming households were making cloth with the same tools as in the farmsteads. As towns began to emerge, opportunities for local and overseas trade increased. Textile production in Late Anglo-Saxon towns can be seen as a phase of technological, social and economic change, as a local supply network was established and foundations were laid for both urban gilds and the export trade in the Anglo-Norman period (later 11th and 12th centuries AD). The countryside, however, remained a producer and was ready to take on greater importance in later centuries.

The Ties that Bind: Fur-Fibre Cordage and Associated Material from Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo Sites in Eastern Canada

by Philip Greaves and Penelope Walton Rogers

The Ties that Bind, 2018

Over 160 finds of cordage made of white animal fur have been recovered from excavations of Dorset... more Over 160 finds of cordage made of white animal fur have been recovered from excavations of Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo sites in the vicinity of Baffin Island, eastern Canada. Almost as many fragments of animal pelts and loose fibres have been excavated in the same sites. This report describes the structure of the cords and the appearance of the pelts, but the main emphasis is on the identification by microscopy of the fur fibres. The evidence shows that while a wide range of wild species was available as pelts, the coat of the Arctic hare was the primary source for cordage, with Arctic fox fur as a significant contributor. A selection of comparative material from Norse and Inuit sites in Greenland has been included. The study was carried out on behalf of the Helluland Archaeological Project. FULL TEXT available from Pangur Press, http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/

Walton Rogers, P, 2016, ‘The copper-alloy belt set’ pp60-4 in A.Crone and E. Hindmarch, Living and Dying at Auldhame, East Lothian: the Excavation of an Anglian Monastic Settlement and Medieval Parish Church. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

An ornamented copper-alloy buckle and matching strap-end were recovered from a Viking Age grave, ... more

De dubbele waterput uit het laat-Romeinse castellum van Oudenburg (prov. West-Vlaanderen): tafonomie, chronologie en interpretatie

by Wim De Clercq, Penelope Walton Rogers, Koen Deforce, and Jan Bastiaens

Relicta, 2009

This article focuses on a remarkable well structure that was brought to light by the Flemish Heri... more This article focuses on a remarkable well structure that was brought to light by the Flemish Heritage Institute during recent archaeological research at the south-western corner of the Saxon Shore fort at Oudenburg (2001-2005). The site of Oudenburg is situated 8 km from the Flemish coastline, in the polder area between Bruges and Ostend. During Roman times however, positioned strategically on an elevated sandy ridge, the site overlooked the coastal plain consisting of mudflats and marshes intersected by natural gullies. The remains of the ...

Chapter 6, Chronology, from Walton Rogers, P, 2013, Tyttel’s Halh: The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Tittleshall, Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology

Full volume available at http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/

Walton Rogers, P, 2006, ‘Textiles’ in M Brickley, S Buteux, J Adams, R Cherrington, St Martin’s Uncovered: Investigations in the Churchyard of St Martin’s-in-the-Bull Ring, Birmingham, 2001, 163-178 (with seven colour plates between pp163-178). Oxford: Oxbow.

Walton Rogers, P, 2012, ‘Textiles, pelts and related organic finds’, pp197-217 in G Sveinbjarnardóttir, Reykholt: Archaeological Investigations at a High Status Farm in Western Iceland, Publications of the National Museum of Iceland, 29. Reykjavik: Snorrastofa and the National Museum of Iceland.

p b ofthp pantry buildin& which belongs to W same p b c of occupation. The finds h the Phase 5 pa... more

Response to Sinding et al

Modeling Deamidation in Sheep α-Keratin Peptides and Application to Archeological Wool Textiles

by Jolon Dyer, Caroline Solazzo, and Penelope Walton Rogers

Analytical Chemistry, 2014

Deamidation of glutamine (Q) and asparagine (N) has been recognized as a marker of degradation an... more Deamidation of glutamine (Q) and asparagine (N) has been recognized as a marker of degradation and aging in ancient proteins. Using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) to study deamidation in wool textiles, we identified eight peptides from α-keratin proteins in sheep wool that could potentially be used to assess the level of degradation. For each chosen peptide, the extent of deamidation was determined by comparing the calculated theoretical distribution with the measured distribution using a genetic algorithm that gives the best fit to the measured distribution. Variations in the levels of deamidation were observed between peptides and in modern wool samples buried for up to 8 years in which deamidation levels were relatively low under short-term burial. In contrast, deamidation was higher in archeological textile fragments from medieval sites ranging from the 9th to 13th century in York (United Kingdom) and Newcastle (United Kingdom) and from the 13th to 16th century in Reykholt (Iceland). Major differences were observed between the British and the Icelandic samples, showing a negative correlation between age of samples and levels of deamidation, but highlighting the effect of local environment. In addition, nanoscale liquid chromatography−electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC−ESI-MS/MS) data indicated that deamidation in wool's α-keratin was influenced by primary and higher-order structures. Predominance of deamidation on glutamine rather than asparagine in the archeological samples was attributed to a higher abundance of Q in the α-helical core domain of keratins, neighboring residues and steric hindrance preventing deamidation of N.

‘Choicest unguents’: molecular evidence for the use of resinous plant exudates in late Roman mortuary rites in Britain

by Nicole Reifarth, Penelope Walton Rogers, and Carl Heron

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2015

Resinous substances were highly prized in the ancient world for use in ritual contexts. Details g... more Resinous substances were highly prized in the ancient world for use in ritual contexts. Details gleaned from classical literature indicate that they played a significant role in Roman mortuary rites, in treatment of the body and as offerings at the tomb. Outside of Egypt, however, where research has shown that a range of plant exudates were applied as part of the mummification process, resins have rarely been identified in the burial record. This is despite considerable speculation regarding their use across the Roman Empire.

Walton Rogers, P, 2013, Tyttel’s Halh: The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Tittleshall, Norfolk, East Anglian Archaeology 150, chapters 1, 7, 8.

For whole volume go to http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/

Boulter, S, and Walton Rogers, P, 2012, Circles and Cemeteries. Excavations at Flixton Park Quarry Volume 1. East Anglian Archaeology 147.

by Stuart Boulter and Penelope Walton Rogers

For abstract go to http://www.aslab.co.uk/bibliography/

Walton Rogers, P, 2007, Cloth and Clothing in Early Anglo-Saxon England (AD 450-700) (CBA Research Report 145). York: CBA. Out of print: second edition at planning stage.

For abstract go to http://www.aslab.co.uk/bibliography/

P Walton Rogers, L Bender Jørgensen and A Rast-Eicher (editors), 2001, The Roman Textile Industry and its Influence: a Birthday Tribute to John Peter Wild (Oxford: Oxbow).

by Penelope Walton Rogers, Lise Bender Jørgensen, and Antoinette Rast-Eicher

Walton Rogers, P, 1997, Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate, The Archaeology of York 17/11. 1st edn York: CBA for York Archaeological Trust. Now available from Pangur Press, http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/ as a free PDF download.

For abstract go to http://www.aslab.co.uk/bibliography/

P Walton and J P Wild (eds), 1990, Textiles in Northern Archaeology: NESAT III, London: Archetype.

Walton, P, 1989, Textiles, Cordage and Raw Fibre from 16-22 Coppergate (The Archaeology of York, 17/5). London: CBA for YAT. Now available from Pangur Press, http://www.aslab.co.uk/pangur-press/ as a free PDF download.

For abstract go to http://www.aslab.co.uk/bibliography/

Legacy Textile studies, the past informing the present

Programme and abstracts of papers for the ETSG conference on Legacy, compiled by Cordelia Warr.

ETSG 2021 Legacy conference 9 11 Sept 2021 programme

Legacy, 2021

The Early Textiles Study Group (ETSG) held its biennial conference on-line in 2021, from Thursday... more The Early Textiles Study Group (ETSG) held its biennial conference on-line in 2021, from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 September. Convened by Cordelia Warr, the conference addressed the theme of Legacy: the Past Informing the Present. Contributors celebrated the work of early pioneers, reviewing how far we have come in individual topics, unpicking the history of significant garments and considering the role of reconstructed clothing in museums and re-enactments. It was an entertaining three days of papers from an international array of speakers.

Walton Rogers Review Iconic Costumes

Costume, 2018

Review of Ulla Mannering's book, Iconic Costumes

Suited and booted: costume and textiles in Europe from Neolithic to Roman times

Antiquity, 2012

Review paper on three volumes produced by The Textile Research Centre, Copenhagen.