Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I have received very sad news: Berit Hildebrandt, textile researcher and lecturer for Ancient History has died after a sudden and grave illness on September 20. I have had the pleasure to work with her, and she was delightfully enthusiastic, always excited to learn new things, and more than happy to pass that excitement and enthusiasm on to others. I will miss her sorely, as a friend, as a wonderful colleague, and as a companion for having that celebratory cake and coffee after a conference when we attended it together. Losing her so early and so suddenly leaves a hole in my heart.

There are also a few other news, and while it feels a little weird to combine them with an obituary, it also feels weird to send two mails one after the other. So I'll go with the first option.

There will be another International Online Conference for Historical Clothing and Textiles in Europe, taking place on March 16 and 17, 2027. You can find the CfP attached as a docx-file. 

The EXAR Organisation for Experimental Archaeology has a budget to help in archaeological experiments by helping pay for related analyses with up to 3000 €. The (German-language) docx-file with related information is also attached.

If you are involved in natural dyes or know someone who is, there is a project to learn more about the yet unknown or unidentified red or yellow dye substances. You can take part in that citizen science project until October 2027, when all samples and their accompanying documentation have to be at the Danish National Museum: https://natmus.dk/historisk-viden/forskning/forskningsprojekter/fashioning-the-viking-age/the-quest-for-colour-x/ 

All the best,
Katrin Kania