#FindsFriday Spindle whorl

This #FindsFriday we are looking at a ?Roman spindle whorl from the Essex County Hospital site 👀

Spindle whorls are spherical items with a hole in the centre used to weigh down the spindle, and help it spin, when weaving yarn 🪡🧵

Although not necessary for spinning, they do make life a lot easier! They can be made of various materials such as stone, bone, antler, and metal – but as you see, this one is ceramic, which is commonly used💡

The presence of a spindle whorl on an archaeological site evidences that there was textile production here, either on a personal or industrial scale. We see spindle whorls all the way back to the Neolithic period in the archaeological record – showing just how effective they are!🙏🏽