Results of preliminary technical and technological analysis of a mirror sac from the necropolis of Karban-2 (Altai Mountains)

Purpose. The author introduces the results of preliminary technical and technological analysis of cloth and leather samples from the grave mound necropolis Karban-2 discovered during the expedition of Barnaul State Pedagogical Institute under the leadership of A. P. Umansky and M. A. Demin in 1989. The materials have not been published in scientific journals yet, so our results of applying technological methods of analysis to the rare finds of organic materials from a grave mound contribute to studying the technology of making ancient costumes and can be of particular interest to the public. The current finding is stored in the Historical museum of Altai State Pedagogical University. Results. The remains of a small sac for a mirror found include two pieces: some substrate material that used to make a textile bag and a diagonal twill weave edging made of double twisted threads. The largest fragment of the fabric found features a glover’s stitch, which is likely to have connected the parts of the bag. Organoleptic and microscopic examination of the material allowed the author to identify some fiber texture, presumably wool. Thus, we believe that the fabric was made of wool. We found two pieces of leather on the top of the basic fabric sac. The largest one is similar in size to the remains of the basic fabric sac. The other, a smaller one, is much dented and bears a few strands of hair. Interpretation of the leather pieces involved a number of difficulties. The condition of them was quite poor, and the leather and textile fragments had no visible binding (traces of stitches). Two possible explanations are that either the woven sac had a closure, or the leather element was used as an ornament. Conclusion. The technical and technological analysis we applied to the finding allowed us to reveal that the people inhabiting the Altai Mountains during the Early Iron Age, who left the necropolis Karban-2, used in their clothes twill weave and connected elements of their clothes with glover’s stitch (stitch over the edge). We also identified a previously unknown method of decorating textile bags for a mirror, which might have had a certain mythological significance. Compatibility of the materials used for making clothes and other components of the costume expands our understanding of the textile traditions of those times. The findings under analysis lead to a more detailed discussion of issues related to the study of textile used in clothes of the population of the Altai Mountains.