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SPINDLE WHORL

Unique ID: SWYOR-3FE9F5

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation

A lead alloy spindle whorl which is discoidal with a large central circular hole. It is rectangular in section, but one edge is chipped. It has a diameter of 24.7mm and is 5mm thick. It weighs 15.6g. Helen Geake writes: “Dating of lead whorls is difficult. The drop spindle with which they were used continued in use until the end of the medieval period in London and Winchester (Egan, 1998, “The Medieval Household: Daily Living c1150 – c1450”; and Biddle, 1990, “Object and Economy in Medieval Winchester”), and for perhaps a century longer in Norfolk (Margeson, 1993, “Norwich Households: Medieval and Post Medieval finds from Norwich Survey Excavations 1971 – 78”). The excavated assemblage from Winchester contains one lead whorl from a mid to late tenth century context.” Undecorated spindle whorls can therefore date from the Roman, Early Medieval or Medieval periods.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: UNKNOWN
Period from: UNKNOWN

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Thickness: 5 mm
Weight: 15.6 g
Diameter: 24.7 mm

Discovery dates

Date(s) of discovery: Wednesday 10th October 2007

Personal details

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Materials and construction

Primary material: Lead Alloy
Completeness: Complete

Spatial metadata

Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Sheffield (Metropolitan District)
District: Sheffield (Metropolitan District)
Parish or ward: Beighton (Metropolitan District Ward)

Spatial coordinates

4 Figure: SK4383
Four figure Latitude: 53.34215858
Four figure longitude: -1.35562483
1:25K map: SK4383
1:10K map: SK48SW
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Discovery metadata

Method of discovery: Metal detector
General landuse: Grassland, Heathland

References cited

Author	Publication Year	Title	Publication Place	Publisher	Pages	Reference
Geake, H.	2001	Finds Recording Guide Version 1.1

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Audit data

Recording Institution: SWYOR
Created: 16 years ago
Updated: 11 years ago

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