Hood, Skjoldehamn, c. 1050-1090

In 1936, a body was found in a bog near Skjold  harbor (Skjoldehamn), on the Norwegian island of Andøya.  Like many other bog finds, the body was originally thought to date from the 18th or 19th C, so attracted little interest. 

1937, the clothing was studied by Norwegian archaeologist Gutorm Gjessing, who dated the find the late 15th- early 16th centuries.

Nothing further was done with the find until 1988, when archaeologist Per Holck dated the remains to 1000-1210AD. New samples were taken in 1998 by Margareta Nockert and Göran Possnert, who used Radio Carbon Dating to conclude the find dated from 995 to 1029 CE.  In 2009 archaeology student Dan Halvard Løvlid arranged AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Radiocarbon Dating) in conjunction with his masters thesis project, and the find was redated to 1050 to 1090 CE.

The outfit included a hood made of a two-tone woolen 2/2 twill, the shape of which was formed of rectangles and squares.  Square pieces form gores in the front and back. The gores are set in on their corner forming points in the center front and center back. This placement also serves to widen the bottom edge enough to accommodate the breadth of the upper torso. The hood was constructed  with seams stitched together from the outside with a running stitch, and additional decorative sewing was added along the seam lines. The bottom edge of the hood was hemmed with a whip stitched taken thru the flat edge. Decorative cords of unknown use were sewn to the hood near the ear on each side.

The hood is close fitting around the head and face, and when pulled forward offers exceptional protection from the elements. The cut forms a 'capelet' to protect the shoulders, as well as an interesting and decorative drape on the chest and back.

Photo of the Skjoldehamn hood used with the kind permission of Dan Halvard Løvlid.  Thanks also for additional information and a correction to my description of the stitching on the original hood.

January 22, 2011- This garment (without decorative stitching) meets Regia Anglorum kit standards. The hood is sold without the decorative stitching shown in the product photo. Decorative stitching and ties are available as an option. If you'd like to add the decorative stitching and ties to your hood, please send us a message.