Directed by Gillian Bowen, Monash University, Australia, site excavations began in 2007/8. Various textiles were recorded at the site, including one piece that dates to circa the early fifth century, with some embroidery (acc. no. 32/405 A7-1 (10) 1c S08.009). The textile is made from undyed wool and woven in a weft-faced tabby. Along one edge there is a selvedge that has been folded and hemmed. It was embroidered with dark blue, red and yellow wool thread.
The decorative needlework was described as follows: "The embroidery consists of a row of chequered chain stitch worked in alternating colours of blue and yellow; superficially this resembles twining. A row of red wool, short running stitches has been worked on either side of the chain. The stitches are longer near the wrapping. On the side furthest from the hem, a row of triangles worked in what appears to be angled straight stitches in yellow are surrounded on two sides by blue stitches. One end of the hem is wrapped with undyed and reddish-brown wool." (Livingstone, pers. comm. and her unpublished excavation notes).
Source: VOGELSANG-EASTWOOD, Gillian (2016). 'Late classical and early medieval embroideries from Egypt and Nubia,' in: Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood (ed.). Encyclopedia of Embroidery from the Arab World, London: Bloomsbury Academic, pp. 58-70, esp. 60-61.
Digital source [retrieved 16 February 2013).
GVE and RL