| Title: |
Craft, industry and everyday life |
| Subtitle: |
leather and leatherworking in Anglo-Scandinavian and medieval York |
| Series: |
The Archaeology of York
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| Volume: |
17
(16)
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| Number of Pages: |
386 |
| Downloads: |
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AY17-16-Leather_and_leatherworking.pdf (11 MB)
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Download
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| Licence Type: |
ADS Terms of Use and Access
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| Publication Type: |
Monograph (in Series)
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| Abstract: |
Volume presenting the surviving evidence for the manufacture and use of leather artefacts, based around the Anglo-Scandinavian leatherwork from 16-22 Coppergate with a smaller amount of medieval material recovered from the site, supplemented by groups recovered from the Coppergate watching brief, excavations at 22 Piccadilly, and at the site of the Foundry and College of Vicars Choral at Berdern. Over 5,000 items of leather dating from the later ninth century through to the fifteenth century are represented and some 550 are fully catalogued. A summary of the excavations is given, followed by a description of the leather-bearing deposits which attempts to identify possible workshop waste. A report is given on the conservation of the leatherwork and changes in conservation techniques. The surviving evidence for leatherworking in the city during the Anglo-Scandinavian and medieval periods is summarised. Leatherworking tools and a wooden shoe-maker's last were found. Environmental evidence for tanning and leatherworking is considered and an attempt made to correlate animal bone evidence with the leather recovered. Among the evidence found for the processing of hides and the manufacture of items were waste leather; discarded unusable parts of animal hides; flesh shavings; trimmings from cutting of pattern pieces; shoe parts showing signs of repair and shoes made from recycled parts. There is also evidence for the refurbishment of knife sheaths. A general outline of manufacturing methods and decorative techniques is given. Items described in detail include shoes, knife sheaths, sword scabbards, straps, purses, elliptical panels, balls, an archer's wrist guard and miscellaneous items. A correlation between shoe styles and sizes was studied and foot abnormalities as seen in the footwear are described. Several kinds of knife and seax sheaths and sword scabbards were recovered and identified. The context of the Anglo-Saxon background and contemporary material from elsewhere in the British Isles is summarised; differences in technology which might reflect the cultural mix of the population are explored, and similarities with leather assemblages recovered throughout north-west Europe are noted. Includes French and German summaries. |
| Author: |
Quita Mould
Ian Carlisle
Esther A Cameron
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| Editor: |
Richard A Hall
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| Publisher: |
Council for British Archaeology
York Archaeological Trust
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| Year of Publication: |
2003
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| ISBN: |
1 902771 36 2 |
| Subjects / Periods: |
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Crafts [Specialization]
(BIAB)
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Leatherworking
(BIAB)
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Early Medieval
(BIAB)
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| Figure/Plate/Table/Ref: |
Figure:
Plate:
Table:
Ref:
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| Note: |
Editorial Expansion:
The Archaeology of York Vol. 17 fasc. 16
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| Source: |
BIAB
(The British & Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB))
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| Relations: |
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| Created Date: |
22 Mar 2004 |
