Bone, England, 250-299AD. Spindle whorls have been used throughout history to spin thread. Examples have been found from the Stone Age and they continued to be regularly used in Britain until at least the seventeenth century. In order to turn a mass of raw textile fibres into thread, strands have to be teased out and twisted so that the fibres are aligned and wrap around each other. This can be done by hand but creating neat, even thread is quicker and easier using a spindle; a straight stick secured to one end of the emerging thread that helps guide the twisting movement and provides a place the new thread can be wound onto for safe keeping. Spindles are usually weighted by fixing them into the central hole of a spindle whorl. The additional weight helps it spin faster and for longer, making the spinner’s job easier. Model by Historic England Geospatial Survey Team
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