Spinning Yarns: The Archaeological Evidence for Hand Spinning and its Social Implications, c ad 1200–1500

Eleanor Standley

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Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies Historical and Archaeological Studies Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts

Abstract

THIS PAPER EXAMINES the archaeological evidence for hand spinning in medieval Britain from c 1200 to c 1500. Ceramic, stone and baked clay spindle whorls have dominated the excavated finds, but a new corpus of lead-alloy spindle whorls, recorded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme and Scottish Treasure Trove, is presented here. Analysis of the metal whorls’ distribution, manufacture, dating and decoration is provided, illuminating the wide social and economic contexts in which they were used. From memento mori of pious spinners to sexually potent objects representative of lubricious gossips, the ubiquitous spindle whorl was a universal tool that had a powerful agency. The artefacts are small finds embodying daily life but also tie into the wider national economy of the High and Late Middle Ages.

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References

2001Renaissance clothing and the materials of memory 2002:Renaissance Clothing and the Materials of Memory 2008Magic for the Dead? The Archaeology of Magic in Later Medieval Burials 2006A Social History of England, 1200–1500 1990Equally in God's image : women in the Middle Ages 2000Everyday Life in Medieval England 2006Cloth and Clothing 1992Medieval finds from excavations in London

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