Madeline Bowers | Macquarie University

Textile Cultures of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Transition: The Current Evidence and Next Steps

Textiles are manifestations of socio-cultural and economic practices, universal to societies across space and time. A textile culture refers to textiles, the techniques and technology used in their production, and the mechanisms of their consumption. A society’s textile culture provides a valuable source of data for understanding its social, economic, and political context. The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age transition is a period of significant social transformation. The stability of the Late Bronze Age palatial period was disrupted by the destruction of palaces and settlements in the Aegean c. 1220–1170 BCE. In the following period, populations negotiated their new social and economic conditions, choosing to adapt and reject the traditions of the palatial period. Textiles provide a unique and understudied lens through which to trace continuity and change in this period. This seminar will discuss what is known of the textile culture of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age transition and next steps to advance our understanding.

Madeline Bowers is a PhD Candidate at the Macquarie University, under the supervision of Dr Susan Lupack. She previously graduated with B.A. Honours in Ancient History and Archaeology from the University of Sydney, and a MSt Classical Archaeology at the University of Oxford. Her PhD project is investigating continuity and change in the textile culture of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Aegean (1200–800 BCE).

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