WEIGHT

A Roman to Medieval cast lead alloy, or lead, perforated circular weight or spindle whorl, biconical with traces of a decorative pattern on both faces. On one face this is comprised of two concentric bands of raised dots (the ones in the outer band being larger than the ones oin the inner band) and on the other is a series of radiating lines.The weight has a circular perforation through the centre.

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 c43 and c1500 AD.