Few textiles survive burial so the technological advances which they represent cannot easily be studied. This problem could be partly overcome if textile fabric pseudomorphs found as part of the corrosion encrustation of metal objects were better understood. The question still to be answered are summmarised before a description of the experimantal work undertaken to reproduce pseudomorph formation. Fabric and copper were immersed in heated water through which air was bubbled. Oxidation reduction potential and pH of the solution were measured continuously. Infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor fibre chemistry changes, while physical structure mineralisation changes were followed with optical microscopy and SEM. A mechanism is offered to explain the the changes. Line diagrams, graphs, references. -- ICCROM