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I've recently come across some green fibrous material from a sample taken from the top of a palaeochannel fill below a medieval mill (see attached photo). At first I thought these looked like textile fragments, partly because I have dyers rocket (Reseda luteola) from the same context and lots of ?copper/gold pins from nearby. I'm now wondering whether these are matted algal filaments. The fragments are approx. 3 to 4mm square viewed under a low power micrscope. Does anyone have any idea? I'm sorry the focus on the photograph isn't very sharp. I gather it would be very unusual for archaeological textile to retain such strong colour. I know of dyed textiles retaining colour from the salt mines of Halstatt in Austria, and although this material comes the salt-producing town of Droitwich in Worcestershire, I guess it doesn't quite compare! If anyone could help, I'd be most grateful. Liz Pearson Senior Environmental Archaeologist Worcestershire Archaeology The Hive Sawmill Walk The Butts Worcester WR1 3PB