Dungiven and Glen Affric

[OC Richard]

With the discovery of Glen Affric we now have two quite old bog-find tartans.

It joins the Dungiven trews tartan, not solidly dated but roughly contemporaneous, estimates ranging from the 15th to 17th centuries.

It was dug up in 1956, from a Derry bog, and has since been dubbed the "Ulster" tartan.

This is the best photo I could find of the trews, compared here to the Glen Affric fragment and the tartans derived from them:

[OC Richard]

There are widely different interpretations of the Dungiven trews tartan, and it's being currently woven in three or four different colour schemes.

Some posit the original colours being red and green. I don't know what analysis, if any, has been done.

Others have gone with the original amber-brown.

To the right are reconstructions of the bog costume using different versions of the tartan.

[figheadair]

With the discovery of Glen Affric we now have two quite old bog-find tartans.

It joins the Dungiven trews tartan, not solidly dated but roughly contemporaneous, estimates ranging from the 15th to 17th centuries.

It was dug up in 1956, from a Derry bog, and has since been dubbed the "Ulster" tartan.

According to Audrey Henshall in her joint paper on the Dungiven costume, it is likely to date to the late 17th century at the earliest and so is therefore roughly a century younger than the Glen Affric specimen.

[OC Richard]

The person from the museum gives "late 16th to early 17th century" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kvPxu8XRT4

All of these dates are later than an estimate I saw (I can't remember where) of the 15th century, which seems far too early.

I can't find that any scientific testing has been done as to yarns, dyes, etc.

[figheadair]

The person from the museum gives "late 16th to early 17th century" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kvPxu8XRT4

All of these dates are later than an estimate I saw (I can't remember where) of the 15th century, which seems far too early.

I can't find that any scientific testing has been done as to yarns, dyes, etc.

There was some analysis done on the underlying peat layer but noting on the cloth/yarn itself.