costume reconstruction

A Crimean Gothic Woman from the Seventh Century

Reconstruction of costume of Crimean Gothic woman of seventh century (reconstructed by Mike Pole, based on Aibabin and Khairedinova, 2016)

Crimea, Goths and Archaeology The indigenous people of Crimea are generally regarded as the ‘Crimean Tartars’. But Crimea has older identities than that…. For example, the ‘Crimean Goths‘. The Goths were one of the identities on the move around Europe in the ‘Migration Period’. Their origin is murky, but is often regarded as being in… Continue reading A Crimean Gothic Woman from the Seventh Century

Time-Travel in a Time of COVID-19

Norricum-Pannonian costume with fibulae.

What’s a guy to do during lock-down? I’ve chosen to time-travel back to around the first and second centuries AD. At that time the Roman Empire stretched over much of Europe, and along the southern Mediterranean as well. In two of its provinces, Noricum and Pannonia (roughly covering what is now parts of Austria, Slovenia,… Continue reading Time-Travel in a Time of COVID-19

Nomadic Women’s Underwear – in Greek Tanais on the Russian Don

You’ll see the chick with red and green silk bloomers at Tanais… The River Don is one of Europe’s big ones. Even if you haven’t heard of it, the sound should be somewhat familiar – there’s Danube, Dnieper, and the Dniester. They all contain the ancient word ‘don’ word, which simply means …. ‘river’. The… Continue reading Nomadic Women’s Underwear – in Greek Tanais on the Russian Don