The Inrap archaeological excavation carried out at the end of 2020 in Mortagne-sur-Sèvres (85) led to the discovery of a sepulchral complex of 99 tombs dated between the 6th and 7th centuries AD. One of the excavated burials – SP 1043, skeleton 1248 – contained the skeleton of a woman over 60 years old. She still had eight copper-alloy pins in her skull. All the artefacts were observed with a binocular loupe, and it was possible to note the conservation of organic remains in contact with them.

Most of the preserved organic remains are composed of scattered fibres that are difficult to characterize. Only pins 4 and 5 show sufficiently preserved remains to be able to address their technical qualification. In both cases, the use of a thin textile pricked by the pins is noted. Indeed, the threads used are fine (<0.5 mm) and the small size of the pins (<60 mm) and their tips (<0.5 mm) support this idea. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) identified the presence of linen (pin 4) and nettle (pin 5).

The observation of the movements of the skull before it was crushed by part of the lid allows us to discuss the possibility of a rather coherent conservation of the pin arrangement. During the movement during the decomposition of the skull, the pins seem to have remained in place while certainly being associated with a set of organic materials (textile.s and hair) to which they were attached. Despite the impossibility of locating one of the pins on the excavation photographs and the displacement of pin 8, the fasteners show an alternation of orientation that perfectly illustrates a headdress holding system. This arrangement and the number of pins tend towards the interpretation of a complex headdress combining the attachment of the hair and one or more textiles. Indeed, several possibilities can be envisaged regarding the textiles used at the height of the skull. It is possible that the pins have pricked two different textiles at head height, that is the hairdressing system may have consisted of two textiles. It is also possible that the headdress system was made of a textile consisting of both fibres. Finally, the fibres may have come from two different arrangements such as a headdress and a funerary furnishing element such as a funeral cushion or a shroud. The partial conservation of the elements prevents us from refining these hypotheses. However, the grouping and arrangement of the pins tend to affirm the use of a hairdressing system at the back of the head holding the hair and mobilizing at least one thin textile pricked and held in place by the small attachments.

Reference

• Cabot, É., forthcoming: Rapport d’opération. Rues du Bel Air, de la Cure, Chemin du Préguin à Mortagne sur Sèvre (Vendée), Inrap Pays de la Loire.

Note

* Thanks to E. Cabot (operation manager at Inrap in charge of the excavation of the site).