Radiocarbon dating of textile Components from Historical silk costumes and other cloth products in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan

Abstract

In our research on traditional clothing and accessories in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, we have collected cloth fragments from traditional Ryukyuan costumes and other fabric products for radiocarbon (14C) dating. In this study, the cloth samples from historical costumes of noro priestesses (two samples), men and women from high-status families (five samples), and non-costume cloth products (seven samples), belonging to the traditional hereditary religious system of the ancient Ryukyu Kingdom, which lasted from approximately the 14th century AD to 1829 were analyzed. One extra sample originated from a silk shawl known as a Manila shawl. The oldest among the 15 samples dates back to the mid-15th century, but some newer ones belong to the unclear calibrated age range of AD 1650–1950. The measured dates are very consistent with the historical record, suggesting that acetone and acid-alkali-acid treatments are an adequate cleaning method for radiocarbon dating of silk and cotton samples produced in the late Middle Age and later.

A Review of the Application of Radiocarbon Dating of Archaeological Textiles from Greece at Different States of Preservation

“…For example the Acid-Base-Acid (ABA) pre-treatment of textile samples that was developed to remove contaminants from the soil or humic acids in the case of excavated nds, was in the past shown to be detrimental for poorly preserved textiles [21]. However, in the case of traditional silk and cotton textiles from the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, acetone-ABA pre-treatment gave dates consistent to the historical record, indicating that this method of sample treatment is suitable at least for better preserved bres [22]. Repeated analysis and advanced pre-treatment with hexane, acetone and ethanol solvents was necessary for dating excavated textiles that had previously been treated with adhesives [17].…”