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Description: | A corroded circular cast lead object, probably a spindle whorl of medieval date. The whorl is has heavily moulded decoration: triangles on each half creating lozenges joined by a central casting seam. The artefact has a central spindle hole with a regular diameter of c. 8.55mm, although a strike has encroached upon the hole on one face. The object has corroded to a largely off-white colour.The spindle whorl is c. 12.5mm in thickness and weighs 35.36g. It has been pointed out that the weight of a spindle whorl is suggestive 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 can be argued, therefore, that this example would have been used for wool. The dating of unstratified spindle whorls is very difficult; the date range offered is tentative and based on finds made in the vicinity. A spindle whorl recorded on this database (ref. SF-975771) has similar lozengiform mouldings.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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