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SPINDLE WHORL
Unique ID: SWYOR-0CC902
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
A lead alloy spindle whorl, probably dating from the medieval period. It is plano-convex with a pronounced medial ridge and both upper and lower surfaces are decorated with lines radiating from the centre of the whorl to create panels. Each panel contains a raised dot. The two surfaces are not, however, identical, one side having eight panels and the other nine. The central hole has straight sides but in one place there is a deep sub-circular depression in the centre of the side wall of the central hole. The whorl is 27.1mm in diameter and 10mm thick. It weighs 31.6gm. Spindle whorls are very difficult to date as few are found in excavated and dated contexts , and spindles were in use from the Roman period to the 16th century (Geake 2001), but it is believed that decorated examples tend to be medieval. A similar example is SWYOR-5C0E45.
Chronology
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1600
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight: 31.6 g
Diameter: 27.1 mm
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 4th August 2009
Personal details
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Materials and construction
Spatial metadata
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (European Region)County or Unitary authority: North Yorkshire (County)
District: Craven (District)
Parish or ward: Gargrave (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SD9353
Four figure Latitude: 53.973019
Four figure longitude: -2.108206
1:25K map: SD9353
1:10K map: SD95SW
Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 10 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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