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This volume provides an ambitious synopsis of the complex,
colourful world of textiles in ancient Mediterranean iconography. A
wealth of information on ancient textiles is available from
depictions such as sculpture, vase painting, figurines, reliefs and
mosaics. Commonly represented in clothing, textiles are also
present in furnishings and through the processes of textile
production. The challenge for anyone analysing ancient iconography
is determining how we interpret what we see. As preserved textiles
rarely survive in comparable forms, we must consider the extent to
which representations of textiles reflect reality, and critically
evaluate the sources. Images are not simple replicas or photographs
of reality. Instead, iconography draws on select elements from the
surrounding world that were recognisable to the ancient audience,
and reveal the perceptions, ideologies, and ideas of the society in
which they were produced. Through examining the durable evidence,
this anthology reveals the ephemeral world of textiles and their
integral role in the daily life, cult and economy of the ancient
Mediterranean.
Textiles comprise a vast and wide category of material culture and
constitute a crucial part of the ancient economy. Yet, studies of
classical antiquity still often leave out this important category
of material culture, partly due to the textiles themselves being
only rarely preserved in the archaeological record. This neglect is
also prevalent in scholarship on ancient Greek religion and ritual,
although it is one of the most vibrant and rapidly developing
branches of classical scholarship. The aim of the present enquiry
is, therefore, to introduce textiles into the study of ancient
Greek religion and thereby illuminate the roles textiles played in
the performance of Greek ritual and their wider consequences. Among
the questions posed are how and where we can detect the use of
textiles in the sanctuaries, and how they were used in rituals
including their impact on the performance of these rituals and the
people involved. Chapters centre on three themes: first, the
dedication of textiles and clothing accessories in Greek
sanctuaries is investigated through a thorough examination of the
temple inventories. Second, the use of textiles to dress ancient
cult images is explored. The examination of Hellenistic and Roman
copies of ancient cult images from Asia Minor as well as depictions
of cult images in vase-painting in collocation with written sources
illustrates the existence of this particular ritual custom in
ancient Greece. Third, the existence of dress codes in the Greek
sanctuaries is addressed through an investigation of the existence
of particular attire for ritual personnel as well as visitors to
the sanctuaries with the help of iconography and written sources.
By merging the study of Greek religion and the study of textiles,
the current study illustrates how textiles are, indeed, central
materialisations of Greek cult, by reason of their capacity to
accentuate and epitomize aspects of identity, spirituality,
position in the religious system, by their forms as links between
the maker, user, wearer, but also as key material agents in the
performance of rituals and communication with the divine.
Twenty-four experts from the fields of Ancient History, Semitic
philology, Assyriology, Classical Archaeology, and Classical
Philology come together in this volume to explore the role of
textiles in ancient religion in Greece, Italy, The Levant and the
Near East. Recent scholarship has illustrated how textiles played a
large and very important role in the ancient Mediterranean
sanctuaries. In Greece, the so-called temple inventories testify to
the use of textiles as votive offerings, in particular to female
divinities. Furthermore, in several cults, textiles were used to
dress the images of different deities. Textiles played an important
role in the dress of priests and priestesses, who often wore
specific garments designated by particular colours. Clothing
regulations in order to enter or participate in certain rituals
from several Greek sanctuaries also testify to the importance of
dress of ordinary visitors. Textiles were used for the furnishings
of the temples, for example in the form of curtains, draperies,
wall-hangings, sun-shields, and carpets. This illustrates how the
sanctuaries were potential major consumers of textiles;
nevertheless, this particular topic has so far not received much
attention in modern scholarship. Furthermore, our knowledge of
where the textiles consumed in the sanctuaries came from, where
they were produced, and by who is extremely limited. Textiles and
Cult in the Ancient Mediterranean examines the topics of textile
production in sanctuaries, the use of textiles as votive offerings
and ritual dress using epigraphy, literary sources, iconography and
the archaeological material itself.
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