You Are What You Wear: Clothing and Adornment in the Ancient World
October 15, 2016

To celebrate International Archaeology Day 2016 the AIA Milwaukee society hosted “You are what you wear: clothing and adornment in the ancient world.” In ancient times, just like in modern times, different fashions and ways of dressing could say a lot about a person and their culture. The AIA Milwaukee society, along with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Departments of Anthropology, Art History, and FLL/Classics put together a wonderful program of activities and demonstrations to show how ancient fashions changed through time, and how clothes and jewelry were made. Visitors got to see weaving on a Neolithic standing loom and demonstrations of nålebinding. Guests also got to see reenactors dressed up in ancient Roman garb and try some on themselves, learn about ancient tattooing, and were able to make their own fibulae and other jewelry. There was even fun for our most junior archaeologists, making jewelry and wampum belts and coloring in historical fashions. Everyone had a wonderful time and learned a lot helping history come alive by making clothes and jewelry, and dressing up like the ancients did!

For more on International Archaeology Day around the world see: http://www.archaeological.org/archaeologyday/about