SPINDLE WHORL

An incomplete stone flat or discoidal spindle whorl, of Neolithic to Medieval dating (BC 3500 - AD 1900). Around 75% of the spindle whorl is present. Both faces of the spindle whorl are flat and undecorated; a circular perforation runs through the the centre, presumably for attachment to a wooden spindle (now missing). The spindle whorl is made from a fine-grained sandstone. The whorl is circular in plan and sub-rectangular in profile, with parallel faces. The central hole is sub circular in shape and has been drilled slightly off central, from both sides. The internal diameter of the hole measures 7mm wide. Both the upper and lower faces are flat. No traces of decoration are present on either the upper or lower faces. The diameter is 40mm and the weight 16.11g. Similar to WMID-CA394C, DEV-99C6F8 and CORN-900426 on the database.

Spindles were used to twist fabric fibres together to produce yarn. The whorls attached to the spindle acted as a weight to help to provide momentum whilst spinning and twisting the fibres together. This method of preparing yarn has been in use since prehistoric times and throughout the ages into the Roman, Medieval, Postmedieval and Modern periods. Margeson (1993, page 184)[1] has suggested that the weight of a spindle whorl is demonstrative 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. Since the weight of this spindle-whorl falls between these weight catagories it is remains unsure which material it would have been used with. Spindle whorls are difficult to date precisely out of their original context, since they were used through most historical and archaeological periods. Many of the later examples tend to be undecorated. Egan (1998, page 256)[2] has argued that there was an apparent lack of interest in developing decorative styles of spindle whorls during the Medieval period, compared to the decorative examples known from the Roman and Early Medieval periods. Although decorated examples are known of from Medieval and Post Medieval periods.

[1] Margeson S., 1993, Norwich Households: The Medieval and Post Medieval Finds from Norwich Survey Excavations 1971-1978; East Anglian Archaeology Report No. 58, 1993

[2] Egan, G., 1998, The Medieval Household Daily Living c.1150-c.1450; Medieval Finds from Excavations in London: 6; Museum of London