Virtual Reconstruction, Interpretation and Preservation of the Textile Artifacts from the Oseberg Find

Virtuell rekonstruksjon, tolkning og bevaring av tekstiler fra Oseberg-funnet (TexRec) Over 80 fragmenter av billedvev er bevart fra vikingtidsgraven Oseberg i Viken. Denne samlingen er i sitt slag enestående i verden og fragmentene utgjør derfor en unik kilde til kunnskap om formspråk, mytologi og tekstil teknologi i denne perioden. Billedvevs fragmentene viser scener med fint utformede menneskefigurer, våpen, dyr, vogner og hus, så vel som geometriske symboler. TexRec søker svar på hvordan de enkelte scenene har dannet sammenhengende fortellinger og hvilke farger som har vært brukt i fremstillingen. Dette vil danne grunnlaget for en virtuell rekonstruksjon. Vi vil også utvikle en moderne bevaringsstrategi for de sårbare tekstilene. For å oppnå dette bruker vi et bredt spekter av ulike vitenskapelige metoder innenfor kjemi, arkeologi, computer science, bildevitenskap, materialvitenskap, botanikk og konservering. Forskningsprosjektet er et samarbeid mellom Kulturhistorisk museum ved Universitetet i Oslo, Department of Computer Science og Norwegian Colour and Visual Computing Laboratory ved NTNU, The National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics ved University of Nottingham og DWI- Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen. Prosjektet ledes av førsteamanuensis Hartmut Kutzke (Kjemi/konserveringsvitenskap) med professor Marianne Vedeler (arkeologi) som medleder, begge ved Kulturhistorisk museum, Universitetet i Oslo.

The present project is the first comprehensive study on the textile artifacts rescued from the Oseberg gravemound. A visual reconstruction based on a combination of natural scientific methods and computer-aided visualization techniques will open up new possibilities for the interpretation of the artifacts from an archaeological as well as from an art and cultural historical point of view. The project consists of five main parts: 1) a thorough investigation of the artifacts, 2) virtual reconstruction of the original appearance, 3) archaeological interpretation of the find, 4) exploration of suitable preservation strategies including development of new bio-inspired conservation materials and 5) dissemination of the results to professional communities as well as to the wider public. The project will be carried out by an international consortium led by the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. In 1904 a burial mound was excavated, situated in the Oslofjord area and containing a Viking ship and human bones, accompanied by a rich collection of various gravegoods. The artifacts are housed by The Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo (KHM). Amongst the artifacts there different types of textiles were found. The proposed project focuses on tapestries excavated from gravemound. A multitude of figures, objects and symbols is depicted on the fabrics, providing an unique insight into myths and histories of the Viking culture. During time colours have bleached out and faded, and many original patterns are hard to recognize. The textiles are fragmented and fragile. A wide range of scientific methods will be used to make the rich world of images accessible to scholarship, resulting in a virtual reconstruction of the original appearance and leading to deeper insight in manufacturing and dyeing techniques in the Viking Age. Possible conservation strategies will be developed and evaluated, focusing on bio-inspired materials, to preserve the unique artifacts.