Reconstructing clothing from Multi-Reference Analyses of personal ornaments found in Palaeolithic burials – three case studies and their implications

Clothing can be characterised by a number of variablesincluding material, level of insulation, manufacturing techniques, and items of clothing, but also colours, patterns, motives and accessories, as well as the social context of use. Archaeologists must put a great deal of effort into reconstructing prehistoric clothing as these variables can only be inferred from data that are mostly indirect. Well-preserved, closed and undisturbed primary burials with durable decorative items still in place offer some visual impressions that can be interpreted in regard to clothing or clothing accessories. Also, the analysis of use-wear patterns on personal ornaments found in graves may allow reconstruction of the visual impacts of beadwork forming an integral part of a garment or of other items associated with the burial. This paper aims to provide a snapshot of such impressions and analyses to investigate how personal ornaments in burial contexts can contribute to the reconstruction of the appearance of clothing.