All In a Spin

This wooden spindle was among a group of objects related to textile production that were discovered during excavations at Perth High Street in the 1970s. We have posted about a handful of spindle whorls on this blog previously, and these are frequently found on archaeological excavations of all time periods from the Bronze Age onwards. The spindles on which the whorls were placed, however, are more elusive since they are usually made of wood so rarely survive. The whorl provides weight towards the bottom of the spindle, giving it momentum so that it continues to spin when spun, to twist wool into yarn.   

This example has a bulbous profile and is worn smooth from use. It had previously been repaired but had broken once more, so AOC’s conservators gently removed the old adhesive with solvents and re-joined the fragments.