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Description: | A cast lead-alloy artefact, probably a spindle whorl. The whorl has a circular section, with an off-centre perforation for attachment. The whorl is 26.6mm in diameter at its centre, 10.5mm thick at its thickest point, and 9.1 at its thinnest, and the circular perforation for attaching to the spindle is 10.2mm in diameter and does not taper. The upper face of this crude whorl features an incised line which extends from the edge to the perforation. The lower face is completely undecorated. The whorl weighs 40.5g. It has been pointed out that the weight of a spindle whorl is demonstrative of the thickness of yarn produced, with lighter spindle whorls (3 - 5 grams) being used for spinning cotton and the heavier ones (30 - 35 grams) for spinning wool (Margeson 1993, 184). It therefore seems likely that this heavy example was used for spinning wool. The spindle whorl is of an off-white colour. The dating of unstratified spindle whorls is very difficult. However, Egan (1998, 256) has argued that there was an apparent lack of interest in developing decorative versions of spindle whorls during the medieval period, compared to the decorative examples known from the Roman and Saxon periods. Furthermore, Egan (1998, 261) has also suggested that there may have been an increase in the use of heavier whorls in the late medieval period cope with thicker yarn. It seems likely therefore that this spindle whorl dates from the medieval period. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ | Publisher: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Rights holder: | The Portable Antiquities Scheme | Subjects: | archaeology | Temporal: | 1066
1500 | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Robert Webley | Identifier: | http://www.finds.org.uk/database/artefac... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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