02-07-2007, 02:45 PM
Lectoribus salvtem dico,
In the castellum of Valkenburg NL, a leather strap was found in the 1980's with the bottom cut like fringes.... If I recall it correctly it is published as a drawing in the this report:
R.M. van Dierendock, D.P. Hallewas & K.E. Waugh,(1993): The Valkenburg Excavations 1985-1988.
Book contains a lot of organic finds: wood , shoes, leather clothing parts(?) tent parts, antler, bone.
It is not necessarily true in my opinion that stitching proves a fabric base material for pteruges.
Pteruges could also be made by folding a rectangle in half to create a thicker but smaller rectangle/strip. That requires at least lenghtwise stitching at one side.. When overlapping (and I believe all pteruges should do that), only that stitchline is visible. Also the straps of horse gear was stitched and so was the single layer leather "apron strip" from Mainz The function of the stitching is then to prevent the (softer) leather straps from curling up. This is a common feature on roman leather straps.
Ursinius/Sebastiaan.
In the castellum of Valkenburg NL, a leather strap was found in the 1980's with the bottom cut like fringes.... If I recall it correctly it is published as a drawing in the this report:
R.M. van Dierendock, D.P. Hallewas & K.E. Waugh,(1993): The Valkenburg Excavations 1985-1988.
Book contains a lot of organic finds: wood , shoes, leather clothing parts(?) tent parts, antler, bone.
It is not necessarily true in my opinion that stitching proves a fabric base material for pteruges.
Pteruges could also be made by folding a rectangle in half to create a thicker but smaller rectangle/strip. That requires at least lenghtwise stitching at one side.. When overlapping (and I believe all pteruges should do that), only that stitchline is visible. Also the straps of horse gear was stitched and so was the single layer leather "apron strip" from Mainz The function of the stitching is then to prevent the (softer) leather straps from curling up. This is a common feature on roman leather straps.
Ursinius/Sebastiaan.
a.k.a. Sebastiaan. "Timeo Danaos et doughnuts edentes" ;-)
