Identifying plant fibre textiles from Norwegian Merovingian Period and Viking Age graves: The Late Iron Age Collection of the University Museum of Bergen

Lukešová, Hana; Palau, Adrià Salvador; Holst, Bodil

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.03.051

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Plants have been used by humans since the start of mankind thousands of years ago as construction material [ 1 ], clothing [ 2 ], and obviously, as food and drugs [ 3 ]. Although scientific knowledge has permitted the development of medicine to today’s standards based on herbal and traditional medicines, the oldest form of medicine known to man, they are still used around the world [ 4 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Current Status of the Pharmaceutical Potential of Juniperus L. Metabolites

Tavares

Seca

2018

Medicines

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Background: Plants and their derived natural compounds possess various biological and therapeutic properties, which turns them into an increasing topic of interest and research. Juniperus genus is diverse in species, with several traditional medicines reported, and rich in natural compounds with potential for development of new drugs. Methods: The research for this review were based in the Scopus and Web of Science databases using terms combining Juniperus, secondary metabolites names, and biological activities. This is not an exhaustive review of Juniperus compounds with biological activities, but rather a critical selection taking into account the following criteria: (i) studies involving the most recent methodologies for quantitative evaluation of biological activities; and (ii) the compounds with the highest number of studies published in the last four years. Results: From Juniperus species, several diterpenes, flavonoids, and one lignan were emphasized taking into account their level of activity against several targets. Antitumor activity is by far the most studied, being followed by antibacterial and antiviral activities. Deoxypodophyllotoxin and one dehydroabietic acid derivative appears to be the most promising lead compounds. Conclusions: This review demonstrates the Juniperus species value as a source of secondary metabolites with relevant pharmaceutical potential.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Current Status of the Pharmaceutical Potential of Juniperus L. Metabolites

Tavares

Seca

2018

Medicines

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“…Therefore, a multi-methodological approach is recommended. For example, and Lukešová, Palau, and Holst (2017) have introduced a combined approach based on observing the presence of calcium oxalate crystals and a modified Herzog test to identify bast fibres from each other. Mutually exclusive characteristics are the Z-twist in hemp and the absence of the crystals in flax.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeking Nettle Textiles – Utilizing a Combination of Microscopic Methods for Fibre Identification

Suomela

Vajanto

Räisänen

2017

Studies in Conservation

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Bast fibres have been commonly used as a textile material in Northern Europe since Neolithic times. However, the process of identifying the different species has been problematic, and many important questions related to their cultural history are still unanswered. For example, a modified Herzog test and the presence of calcium oxalate crystals have both been used in identification. In order to generate more reliable results, further research and advancement in multi-methodological methods is required. This paper introduces a combination of methods which can be used to identify and distinguish flax (Linum usitatissimum), hemp (Cannabis sativa), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). The research material consisted of reference fibres and 25 fibre samples obtained from 12 textiles assumed to be made of nettle. The textiles were from the Finno-Ugric and Historical Collections of The National Museum of Finland. The fibre samples were studied by observing the surface characteristics and cross sections with transmitted light microscopy, and by using a modified Herzog test with polarized light, in order to identify the distinguishable features in their morphological structures. The study showed that five out of 25 samples were cotton, 16 nettle, one flax, and one hemp. Findings from two samples were inconsistent. The results show that it is possible to distinguish common north European bast fibres from each other by using a combination of microscopic methods. Furthermore, by utilizing these combined methods, new and more reliable information could be obtained from historical ethnographic textiles, which creates new vistas for the interpretation of their cultural history.

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“…; Lukešová et al . ). However, the inner fibre structure has to be preserved, which is why charred, mineralized and/or fully metal replaced material cannot yield results (Lukešová ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Is It Hop? Identifying Hop Fibres in a European Historical Context

et al. 2018

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Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is an ancient perennial crop plant, native to the Northern Hemisphere. The archaeological evidence dates back to at least the sixth century AD in Europe. Hop has been used for beer brewing, in sleeping draughts, as bedding and for antibacterial purposes. Less known is that hop fibres have also been used for textiles and paper. However, it is difficult to distinguish hop from other bast fibres. Here, we present a set of fibre features, which, when found together in an archaeological/historical material within a European context, provide a strong indication that the fibres are hop.

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Identifying plant fibre textiles from Norwegian Merovingian Period and Viking Age graves: The Late Iron Age Collection of the University Museum of Bergen

Cited by 14 publications

References 5 publications

The Current Status of the Pharmaceutical Potential of Juniperus L. Metabolites

The Current Status of the Pharmaceutical Potential of Juniperus L. Metabolites

Seeking Nettle Textiles – Utilizing a Combination of Microscopic Methods for Fibre Identification

Is It Hop? Identifying Hop Fibres in a European Historical Context

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