Rights Holder: The Portable Antiquities Scheme
CC License:
Our images can be used under a CC BY attribution licence (unless stated otherwise).
Unique ID: LANCUM-5D909E
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
Medieval to early post medieval cast lead alloy, or lead, perforated circular weight or spindle whorl. The weight has a circular perforation through the centre. The weight appears to have seen a lot of use as there is a great deal of wear and is heavily damaged being somewhat flattened.
In the "Finds Recording Guide", Geake (2001, p66) points out that: "The function of lead weights would have varied, from spindle-whorls to fishing weights to trade weights." She adds that spindle whorls should ideally be circular and must have a central perforation (ibid.). It is possible, therefore, that this lead weight is a spindle whorl. At the Austin Friary in Leicester (see Mellor and Pearce, 1981), a decorated whorl was found, still on its spindle, in a 13th to 15th century context. However, Geake (ibid.) states: "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", 255-261; 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",184-5)." She adds that, in Cottam in East Yorkshire, detectorists found decorated whorls in ploughsoil over the site of Roman buildings (Geake, ibid.). Without further context, is it not possible to closely date this lead weight. It could date to anytime between c1000 and c1600 AD.
The diameter is 15mm and the weight 18.24g
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1100
Date to: Circa AD 1600
Quantity: 1
Weight: 8.24 g
Diameter: 15 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Tuesday 1st July 2014
This information is restricted for your access level.
Primary material: Lead Alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
Grid reference source: Centred on parish
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.