The textile fragments in boat-grave 5, Valsgarde, Old Uppsala parish, Uppland

Abstract

The present work deals with the textile finds from the Vendel Period boat-grave 5 at Valsgärde, Uppland. The excavation of boat-grave 5 between 1929 and 1930 resulted in the discovery of 120 textile fragments, most of them stuck to metal (shield mountings, helmet etc.) and covered with metal corrosion. A main result of the present work is that the deceased seems to have been laid to rest covered by a cloak, but not formally dressed. Instead, several types of fine textiles, suitable for garments, were placed on top of the shields that covered the cloaked body and above the mans head, where the textiles lay in several layers. The helmet and parts of the shields were covered with a fabric that might have been a "field" cloak/ blanket. The central part of the boat was covered with a tent/superstructure of birch-bark with a fabric lining. A textile quiver and a buckle with a patterned fabric from the edging of a caftan were placed separately closer to the stem.