We write a lot about wool combs and at the markets, we explain and demonstrate how they were used. But what is the actual evidence for those tools?

It doesn't matter whether it is for protection against wind and rain or for displaying one's wealth and status: The cloak is one of the most important parts of a man's dress in early medieval Europe. Direct archaeological finds, however, are rare and usually quite small. The following article explores some of the archaeological evidence from the Viking Age. It is most certainly not comprehensive, but gives a rough overview over some of the most important finds.

Our four weeks long Denmark tour started with a very quiet week in Hedeby. Unfortunately, neither of us had any motivation to take many pictures.

A niddy noddy is a tool used in textile production. It can have different purposes, like storing the yarn in a practical manner or making it easier to dye. There are two Scandinavian places with Viking Age finds of niddy noddies: Oseberg/Norway and Hedeby/Germany (Viking Age: Denmark).

The raw wool contains everything left in there when the sheep is shorn. Including insects, flora and things from the stable floor.

In the times before industrial spinning mills, even before the first spinning wheels, wool and flax had to be spun with the drop spindle. Because the production of textile threads was an elemental part of the production of clothes, spinning can be seen as very important in the everyday life of the people.