From shearing sheep to a finished sail, wool had to be washed, combed, spun, dyed, and woven. Textile work demanded immense time and skill; cloth was valuable, repaired, and used for as long as possible.
Archaeological textile remains are rare and usually fragmentary. Brooches, belt fittings, spindle whorls, and loom weights add evidence, but complete costumes must be reconstructed cautiously. Region, century, and social standing mattered greatly.
Linen and wool dominated, while silk and elaborate braid could signal wealth and access to long-distance exchange. Colours were more varied than the cliché of coarse brown clothes, although not everyone constantly wore brilliant ceremonial dress.
Smiths, woodworkers, bone carvers, and specialised workshops produced tools, ornaments, and repairs. Tool marks and experiments help recover craft knowledge, but a reconstruction remains a testable experiment rather than a direct window onto the past.