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June 2001 NewsletterThis late spring newsletter of the Fiber Perishables Interest Group includes a report on the group's activities at the Annual Meeting of the SAA in New Orleans in April, calls for papers for two Spring 2002 conferences, news of our own web site, and miscellaneous notes on organizations, institutions, publications and exhibitions relating to the study of fibers and their use. Enjoy the information and please consider contributing your ideas to our next newsletter. Information can be sent to either of the co-chairs (This section has been edited out for web publication) FPIG in NOLAOne of the highlights of this year's SAAs in New Orleans was the FPIG-sponsored symposium, Textiles and the Negotiation of Power. Organizers Linda Neff and Penny Drooker assembled a diverse and fascinating group of participants who spoke to a sizeable audience in a very large room. (There was no sense of crowding this year!) Mary Helms was a perceptive discussant. Abstracts of the symposium presentations are available on the FPIG web site. (This section has been edited out for web publication) The Fiber Perishables Interest Group's evening meeting was not well attended, due perhaps in part to the somewhat obscure location, but more certainly to the scheduling conflicts that are unavoidable at annual meetings. There were a scant dozen people present although SAA records show that there are currently 564 members of this interest group! Implementation of the $4 dues in the coming year should give us a more accurate view of our core constituency. Actions taken at the April 19 meeting included welcoming Laurie Webster as the new co-chair. Laurie fills the vacancy created by the end of Penny Drooker's 1999-2001 term. Thank you, Penny, for your strong leadership and dedication to the group! Laurie, who has served previously in this office, brings diligence and enthusiasm to the post, which she will hold until the 2003 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee. Dee DeRoche continues as co-chair and SAA liaison for the group until 2002. We are looking for members to serve on a nominating committee to recruit candidates for the 2002 co-chair position. Please contact either Laurie or Dee if you are willing to serve on this committee or interested in serving as co-chair. New ideas and diverse viewpoints are essential to the success of our group! SCMRE Funding PulledAs part of the extensive consolidation and curtailment of programs at the Smithsonian Institution, the Institution's Secretary, Larry Small, has decided to close the Smithsonian's Center for Materials Research and Education (formerly the Conservation Analytical Laboratory). The SCMRE is an essential part of the interconnected web of Smithsonian and other organizations that combine collection, curation, research, conservation and exhibition functions. Its elimination would place the SI' vast collections of material culture and other objects at risk, undermine the SI's research component based on its mandate to increase knowledge and have far-reaching detrimental effects in museum and education spheres. The following links provide information on the current situation regarding SCMRE and related matters, statements of concern from various affected organizations (including a letter to the editor of the New York Times from the Archaeological Institute of America and the Society for American Archaeology), and suggestions for taking action on this important issue. (This section has been edited out for web publication) Teague to Tend Web SiteLynn Teague has agreed to assume management our FPIG web page. The web page was created by Linda Neff and is accessible through the SAA's web site. (This section has been edited out for web publication) Publications, Courses, Exhibits, Workshops, Web Sites, Calls for PapersThe Archaeological Textiles Newsletter (ATN), published twice-yearly in spring and fall, provides information relating to all aspects of archaeological textiles, from prehistoric and historic periods and from all parts of the world. Information about work in progress, announcements, reviews, queries and bibliographies are published in English, German or French. To submit a contribution or inquire about a subscription, contact
John Peter Wild
The Textile Society of AmericaAnyone interested in textiles—archaeological, ethnographic, or contemporary—should consider becoming a member of the Textile Society of America. Established in 1987, the society brings together an international group of more than 500 textile specialists, artists, and enthusiasts united by a common loveof cloth. Activities include a biennial symposium of juried papers (the 2002 symposium will be held at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts), as well as workshops and short courses. Publications include the symposium proceedings, an annual textile bibliography, an annual membership directory, and an excellent newsletter published three times a year. TSA also offers a great website and a list serve. In short, this is a terrific organization. Annual dues are $45 for individuals ($25 for university students enrolled in degree programs). For more information, see their website at textileSociety.org. Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute's Center for Perishables Analysis As described in the Center's website, mai.mercyhurst.edu (click on "Facilities" and then on "Center for Perishables Analysis"),the R. L. Andrews Center for Perishables Analysis is the only laboratory in North America fully dedicated to the analysis of basketry, textiles, cordage, netting, sandals, and related perishable material. It possesses all the capabilities to systematically determine the techniques of manufacture and the raw material sources used in the production of virtually any perishable artifact. Presently, collections from Czech Republic, Israel, Jordan, Arizona, Florida, Texas, and Utah are being processed in this facility. The Center also specializes in treating waterlogged perishables from prehistoric and historic sites. For further information, contact
Dr. James M. Adovasio
Other Recommended Web Sites
Note on NalbindingFPIG member Sue Hayes writes: "Some members might be interested in the article on nalbinding which is in the most recent (May/June) Piecework. This is an Old World technique of some antiquity, apparently both in the Baltic and West Asia. The instructions are not terribly clear from the photographs, but Rutt has drawings which show the structure and a person should be able to learn the technique from the combination of sources." Summer ExhibitPlanning a trip to England this summer? Then be sure to check out the exhibit, A Stitch in Time: Medieval Islamic Embroideries from Egypt at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. The exhibit runs from June 6 through July 22. Call for Abstracts—Symposium on Perishable Material Culture in the NortheastSubmitted by FPIG member Penny Drooker: I am organizing a daylong symposium on perishables in northeastern North American archaeology, in conjunction with the biennial Northeastern Natural History Conference (formerly the New York Natural History Conference), to be held at the New York State Museum in Albany, April 24-27, 2002. Selected papers from the symposium will be published in a peer-reviewed edited volume, as a NYSM Bulletin. (Two archaeologically-oriented volumes are in production from last year's conference, one on geoarchaeology, and another on early late prehistoric subsistence and settlement patterns.) I have in mind a focus on plant and animal fibers, leather, wood, and bark, with an emphasis on clothing and containers. Depending upon people's interests, though, this could veer in other directions. Besides manuscripts by archaeologists, contributions from conservators, botanists, zoologists, ethnohistorians, and other specialists also would be welcome. To make the publication a unified, comprehensive volume, I wish to include overviews by state or region. (For the purposes of this conference, "Northeast" can include Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, southeastern Ontario, Quebec, New England, and the Maritime Provinces.) If more abstracts are received than can be accommodated in the session, I will give preference among archaeological manuscripts to those that will include—at least in the published version—a summary of perishable material culture in a particular region, in addition to any current research the author might wish to highlight. Ambitious people who have time on their hands are welcome to propose two papers, one an overview and one on some specialized topic. (This section has been edited out for web publication) The deadline for abstracts is September 14. Please include name, full address, phone number(s), fax number, and email address. Symposium papers will be selected by early October. Authors will be expected to bring publication versions of their papers to the symposium, to expedite the review and publication process. If you are interested, but have questions, email me at the address below.
Penelope B. Drooker
Second Call For Papers on Natural DyesThe first North American conference on natural dyes will be held May 19-21, 2002 at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. This conference will explore issues related tothe archaeology, chemistry, botany, ethnography, manufacture, trade, history, conservation, ecology, and agriculture of pigments, natural colorants, artifacts, and products based on natural dyes. Organizers also invite papersdealing with museological concerns such as dyes in costume and clothing, and the conservation and restoration of dyes in paper and leather artifacts. Pre- and post-conference workshops will demonstratedyeing techniques relative to fabric, surface design, garments, paper, basketry, and other media. Deadline for abstracts is July 31, 2001. If you wish to submit a paper or receive registration information when available, please contact a member of the organizing committee:
We look forward to receiving your ideas, comments, and suggestions for the next FPIG newsletter. (This section has been edited out for web publication) |
Last Modified: Thursday August 21 2008
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