Textile production is ubiquitous in human societies, from antiquity to the present. However, several aspects have yet to be thoroughly investigated and fully understood, depending on the societies and the historical period.

This conference aims at analysing the impact textile production processes had on European societies through the millennia. Whereas modes and contexts of textile production in specific periods and regions are known or under study in the respective research fields, comparisons across time and space have not been done yet.

The conference will focus on several aspects: how the different phases of textile production were articulated, how modes of production change through time, what was the real impact of technical and technological innovation in past societies, how the type of product (luxury, for mass consumption) relates to the mode of production, how textile production was regulated, how the export market influenced the organisation of textile production, and if there are suited theoretical frameworks to compare our research on different periods and areas.

EuroWeb offers the platform to undertake such a time-transcending study of textile production. The conference, focussing on pre-industrial European fabric production, invites EuroWeb members and other researchers to contribute to the discussion of continuities, parallels and changes in textile production. The production process will be considered as a whole, from the selection of plant fibres and their farming or sheep races for wool , until the dyeing process, the making of the fabric and respective finishing processes.

The papers should reflect on the forms of organisation of production - household production, workshops, putting-out systems and factories are a few well-known keywords on the discussions that come to mind. We invite case studies on different modes of productions with considerations on their context and impact on the respective societies. Presentations focusing on the comparison of production organisation in different areas are particularly welcome.

The call for papers is open until 30 June 2021. Please, upload your title and abstract of a maximum of 300 words at: https://forms.gle/TQLD5bgTAieWWjMN6.The acceptance of papers will be notified by the 15 September 2021. Participants will have up to 20 minutes to discuss their papers.