Archaeology Research

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Personal Research Fellowship.

‘Uncovering Scotland's Earliest Textiles’ 

Dr Susanna Harris, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Glasgow. 

Congratulations to Dr Susanna Harris!

Susanna says:

I am thrilled to receive The Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Research Fellowship. My project ‘Uncovering Scotland's Earliest Textiles’  will investigate the deep history of Scotland’s first textiles. This is an opportunity to investigate these rare finds and raise the profile of the earliest surviving textile evidence to a level proportionate with the social importance, rather than with their sparce survival. 

‘Uncovering Scotland's Earliest Textiles’ uses scientific and archaeological approaches to reveal significant new evidence for the start of Scotland’s iconic textile industry. Known as the Bronze Age (2400-700 BCE), this period is typically considered in relation to metals, yet as recent inquiries show it was a time of invention in textiles.

Textiles and clothing are one of the most ubiquitous technologies and are culturally significant across the globe; they are central to Scotland’s economic and social history.

By applying a pioneering suite of methods, this research will investigate Scotland’s earliest textiles in their geographical and chronological setting. This timely narrative will significantly influence related disciplines and invigorate international debates that touch beyond the academic world. 

 

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First published: 12 February 2024