Textiles for Miners and Mining Archaeological textiles from the 12th to 14th centuries from Brandes-en-Oisans, Isere, France

The aim of this paper is to present the archaeological textiles from a medieval mining village in the French Alps. The main objective of the research is to identify what kind of uses textiles could have had before they were buried. The context is particularly interesting because most of the textiles were discovered in industrial zones, especially in ore-washing basins. Thus far, this kind of context is thought to be unique. Were these textiles used in the process of ore-washing or abandoned in the basins when converted into dustbins? Were these textiles woven for the process or were old fabrics reused to wash the ore? If so, how old are they? Technical analysis and observation under microscopes have highlight the presence of wool, dyes, cut marks and embroidery or sewing holes and threads.