In Textile Layers cover
Published:30/04/2026Language:EnglishPages:235, Illustrated throughout in black & white and colour.BAR Number: S3269Series: BAR International Series
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In Textile Layers

The wrapping of human remains, animals, and artefacts in Egypt, Sudan, and the Southern Levant

Edited by Matilde Borla, Luise Ørsted Scharff Brandt and Elsa Yvanez

$70.00 – $97.50

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ISBN: 9781407363844
BAR: S3269
$97.50
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ISBN: 9781407363851
BAR: S3269E
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Description

This volume examines the role of textiles in ancient Egypt, Sudan and the Southern Levant in funerary contexts, through an interdisciplinary lens. Contributions from archaeology, philology, conservation, bioanthropology, and imaging sciences highlight how collaborative approaches reveal both the material and cultural significance of textile wrappings. Advanced technologies allow non-invasive study of human remains and textiles, while innovative conservation methods preserve fragile artefacts and ensure their accessibility for future research. Ethical issues, particularly around the treatment and display of wrapped remains, are emphasized, alongside a call for greater attention to conservation practices in fieldwork. The book also departs from the colonial legacies of early Egyptology, where unwrapping practices fragmented and desacralized mummies and funerary deposits. Through its case studies, this volume underscores textiles as key to our understanding of burial rituals, material culture, and the entangled histories of archaeological practice.

About the Editor

Matilde Borla is an Egyptologist at the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per la città Metropolitana di Torino, where she is assigned to institutional activities related to conservation and analysis projects on the Egyptian collection of the Fondazione Museo Egizio.

Luise Ørsted Scharff Brandt is a scientist at the University of Copenhagen, specialising in the analysis of ancient proteins found in textiles and animal skin material.

Elsa Yvanez is an archaeologist specialised in ancient textiles from Egypt and Sudan, based at the Centre of Textile Research, University of Copenhagen.

List of Contributors: Rosa Boano, Matilde Borla, Luise Ørsted Scharff Brandt, Camilla Bruscagin, Paola Buscaglia, Michela Cardinali, Roberta Genta, Charlotte Hunkeler, Salima Ikram, Katarzyna Kasprzycka, Veerle van Kersen, Anne Irène Kwaspen, Fleur Letellier-Willemin, Janet Levy, Georgia Long, Elisa Fiore Marochetti, Cinzia Oliva, Daniela Picchi, Anna Piccirillo, Kristin South, Chiara Tricerri, Valentina Turina, Elsa Yvanez.

Reviews

‘This book constitutes a valuable contribution to the field of funerary archaeology of Ancient Egypt, Sudan, and beyond. Through a selection of case studies, it promotes a holistic approach to the study of burial contexts with a clear focus on textiles and wrappings as their integral part and not a stand-alone artefact.’ Dr Iwona Kozieradzka-Ogunmakin, University of Exeter

‘Excellent material conservation case studies are included which describe the use of both traditional and innovative methods for the conservation of wrapped human and animal remains. Thus, this book makes a real contribution to current discussions around the excavation, examination, and display of human remains.’ Dr Glennda Susan Marsh-Letts, Archaeological Conservator and Textile Consultant

‘Each of the studies contributes some new insights, whether fresh fieldwork results, detailed observation of museum material or a gathering of more traditionally Egyptological text-based evidence for the exploration of textiles. I can see this being of relevance to colleagues in Egypt and Sudan, and more broadly in cross-cultural comparison.’ Dr Campbell Price, Manchester Museum, University of Manchester

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