Textiles and War in Europe and the Mediterranean from Prehistory to Late Antiquity: Proceedings of the International Conference held at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Levant Culture and Civilisation in Bucharest, Romania, 17–19 May 2023

Armies needed cloth as well as iron. Helmet linings, reinforced equipment, garments and supplies all mattered to soldiers, even if fabrics are far less likely to survive than weapons. Edited by Liviu Mihail Iancu and Francesco Meo, this collection investigates textiles and leather in warfare from prehistory to Late Antiquity, drawing on material remains, ancient images and written accounts.

Its thirteen studies range from protective materials in Greek armour to the lining of Roman helmets and textile activity around Republican military sites in western Iberia. Reused fabrics from sites associated with the Jewish revolts add another view of how cloth was obtained and used in conflict. The focus is not simply on what warriors wore, but on the making, movement and reuse of materials that helped armies function.