Conference on prehistoric leather

The Iceman's Clothes: New Research into Prehistoric Tannage
The Schlich Lecture Theatre
Department of Plant Sciences
University of Oxford, England
Thursday 6th July 2000

Organised by the Archaeological Leather Group, which exists to
promote the study of leather and leather objects from archaeological
contexts by archaeologists, scientists, scholars, conservators,
artifact specialists, leather workers and others interested in the
material.

Much excitement surrounded the discovery of a 5000 year old body in
the ice of the Tyrolean Alps in 1991. He is unique: the chances
against such a find existing, let alone being recovered, is
colossal. In addition to his body, his clothing and equipment (a
contemporary mountain survival kit) is preserved. Expertise in skin
and leather manufacture is evident in the portable equipment, which
comprises no less than seven articles of clothing and twenty
different items of equipment. There are eight species of animals
among the skins and other animal products used in his clothing.  The
one-day meeting will provide an opportunity to talk about his
leather and skin accoutrements in depth, and gain insight into the
world he inhabited.

A special meeting of the Archaeological Leather Group to be held in
the Schlich lecture theatre, Department of Plant Sciences, South
Parks Road, Oxford, on 6th July 2000. New scientific evidence for
types of tannage and leather-working techniques used in prehistory
will be presented at this meeting.

Schedule:

    10:30am Registration and Coffee
    11am    The Iceman Revisited, Dr Lawrence Barfield
    12am    The Iceman's Clothing and Equipment: Strength and
            Weakness of the Dataset
            Professor W. Groenman van Waateringe
    1pm     Lunch
    2:15pm  Skin Processing Technologies in Ancient Egypt: 3000
            Years of Tradition
            Dr C. van Driel-Murray
    3:15pm  Different Traditional Techniques of Hide-working
            (British Colombia and Siberia) and their Archaeological
            Evidence
            Silvie Beyries
    4:15pm  The Flint Scraper in Later European Prehistory
            Dr Lawrence Barfield
    4:30pm  Tea
    4:45pm  AGM and close

Contact:

    Esther Cameron
    Institute of Archaeology
    36 Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2PG
    United Kingdom
    +44 1865 278253
    esther.cameron [at] arch__ox__ac__uk

    Name:
    Address:
    Telephone:

    Please enclose payment by cheque made out to Archaeological
    Leather Group. ALG group (in UKP sterling).

    Members UKP10, non-members UKP15. A lunch can be arranged for an
    additional UKP5.50 per person, payment for which should be
    included with your application.

    Lunch? (yes/no) Vegetarian? (yes)

Please send this form to Esther Cameron (address above) by 1st July.
Numbers are limited.

Barbara Wills
Secretary, Archaeological Leather Group


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:1
                   Distributed: Monday, June 19, 2000
                        Message Id: cdl-14-1-017
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