In most archaeological sites, only loom weights survive. Here, the wooden frame and fibers were preserved alongside them, allowing researchers to move beyond inference and document a working loom in unusual detail. The study, published in the journal Antiquity, was carried out by researchers from the University of Alicante, the University of Granada, and the University of Valencia.
Aerial view of the Cabezo Redondo site. (University of Alicante)
A Fire Preserved an Archaeological Snapshot
Wood and plant fibers usually rot away, leaving only heavier materials behind. That's why complete looms are almost never found. In this case, the fire created just the right conditions to preserve it. As the building burned, the roof collapsed, burying the loom and sealing it off from further damage. The heat charred the wood, slowing decay and helping it hold its shape.
"The collapse of the ceiling was crucial [...] resulting in a sealed space in which the area was suddenly destroyed and immediately buried, enabling its preservation," explained study co-author Professor Gabriel García Atiénzar from the University of Alicante in a press release.
The charred wood, clay weights, and fibers stayed trapped under the debris. The fire took place around 1450 BC, when the loom was still in use, meaning the discovery shows a real working setup rather than scattered remains.
Finding the Loom in the Village
Archaeologists uncovered the loom on a raised platform connected to several houses on the western slope of the settlement. This area also contained tools, vessels, and other objects used in daily life. A dense group of clay weights helped identify the loom.
"Although the loom was recovered from a collapsed area and some pieces were missing, the compact set of 44 cylindrical weights with a central perforation, most of them about 200 grams in weight, is characteristic of a vertical warp-weighted loom," noted study co-author Ricardo Basso Rial from the University of Granada.
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Wooden remains of the loom during the excavation process at Cabezo Redondo. (University of Alicante)
Researchers found 49 loom weights in total, each playing a key role in holding threads tight during weaving. The loom included wooden beams, clay weights, and plant fibers, with thicker beams likely forming the upright frame and thinner ones acting as supports.
The beams were found lying parallel to a wall, which helps researchers understand how the loom once stood. Esparto grass fibers were also found tied around the wood and inside the holes of the weights, likely helping to attach threads to the loom.
"The preservation of the organic elements was due to the fire that charred the remains and to the fact that these remains were practically unaltered later. Paradoxically, the fire both destroyed and preserved the site," said co-author Yolanda Carrión Marco from the Universitat de València.
Analysis of the carbonized wood revealed it came from Aleppo pine, a species common in the region. The growth rings suggested the builders chose large, mature trees, indicating careful selection of materials. "To find a loom like this, just as it was standing there 3,500 years ago, is really remarkable," said Karina Grömer of the Natural History Museum Vienna, according to a Smithsonian Mag report.
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Recreation of an area devoted to textile work, as documented at Cabezo Redondo. (University of Alicante)
The Bronze Age Textile Revolution
The loom was capable of producing different types of fabric. The weight and size of loom weights controlled thread tension and spacing. The light clay weights (at just 200 grams, far lighter than the 400 to 900 gram weights typical of the region and time) suggest it was used to make finer, more complex fabrics, possibly including early forms of twill weave. This loom is part of a larger shift known as the "textile revolution" in the European Bronze Age.
Ricardo Basso explained that this revolution "was the result of a combination of processes, including the expansion of livestock breeding for wool production, technical innovations in looms and spinning and weaving tools, and social changes that led to more intensive and diversified textile production." The researchers noticed a shift toward lighter loom weights compared to earlier periods, suggesting that people began producing finer fabrics, possibly using wool more often, a change that marked an important step in the development of clothing and trade.
The location of the loom also provides insight into daily life. It stood in a shared outdoor space connected to nearby homes, suggesting that weaving was a group activity. "This indicates that different household groups may have collaborated on activities such as spinning, weaving and milling," noted co-author Paula Martín de la Sierra. Other crafts in the settlement, such as metalworking and ivory carving, appear to have been concentrated in specialized areas, making textile production distinct in its communal character.
Human remains from the site offer further clues. Teeth from female skeletons show patterns of wear characteristically associated with spinning and weaving, as these women probably used their incisors to hold fibres in place or cut threads. This evidence suggests that women played a central role in textile production, which was not only a household task but also an important economic activity.
Why Cabezo Redondo Matters
Cabezo Redondo was a major settlement with strong trade connections. Items like gold, silver, ivory, and glass beads show that the village was part of wide exchange networks connecting it with other areas of the Iberian Peninsula, the Eastern Mediterranean, and even Central Europe. Occupied approximately between 2100 and 1250 BC, the settlement covered up to one hectare and is considered a key example of Bronze Age culture in the Iberian Peninsula. While there are similarities to the well-known El Argar culture, researchers believe the settlement dates from a later, "post-Argaric" period.
Researchers describe the site as "an exceptional laboratory to study the technical and social evolution of textiles in the second millennium BC." Because this loom includes wood, fibers, and weights together, it allows researchers to understand ancient weaving in much greater detail than ever before. The Cabezo Redondo loom stands as one of the most complete examples of ancient textile technology in Europe, showing how skill, material knowledge, and communal effort shaped everyday life thousands of years ago.
Top image: Left; Reconstruction of a Bronze Age warp-weighted loom, on display at the Alcoy Archaeological Museum. Right; the Bronze Age loom remains in situ at the find site. Source: University of Alicante
By Gary Manners
References
Basso Rial, R., García Atiénzar, G., Martín de la Sierra Pareja, P., Barciela González, V., Hernández Pérez, M. & Carrión Marco, Y. 2026. Evidence of a warp-weighted loom in the Bronze Age settlement of Cabezo Redondo (south-east Spain). Antiquity. Cambridge University Press. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/evidence-of-a-warpweighted-loom-in-the-bronze-age-settlement-of-cabezo-redondo-southeast-spain/D92BF7852BD04416A7943AA87FB87AD6
Graham, R. 2026. A Bronze Age Loom Sheds New Light on Mediterranean Textile Practices. Smithsonian Magazine. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-bronze-age-loom-sheds-new-light-on-mediterranean-textile-practices-180988426/
Scott, A. 2026. A Fire Destroyed a Bronze Age Village — but Preserved a 3,500-Year-Old Loom. Discover Magazine. Available at: https://www.discovermagazine.com/a-fire-destroyed-a-bronze-age-village-but-preserved-a-3-500-year-old-loom-48889
University of Alicante. 2026. UA researchers find 3,500-year-old loom that reveals key aspects of textile revolution in the Bronze Age. Available at: https://web.ua.es/en/actualidad-universitaria/2026/marzo2026/23-31/ua-researchers-find-3-500-year-old-loom-that-reveals-key-aspects-of-textile-revolution-in-the-bronze-age.html
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