The Viking World: A History in ObjectsMain MenuGallery viewA galleryTag Cloudtag cloud pageThemesA path of thematic categoriesAuthor IndexExplore the collection by authorWorks CitedReferencesAdam Bigelow3afa9c7ecebf516bba6609664b1b12f79c54bf77Caitlin Donahue61b7e986e7c71d400e5c803912ed83c0cf65252fCaroline Harvey1783f21a5882b5b4d3d0b6c174d058052a5ff7eaEdward Hershewee701ef220480b51ca728fc9c719bc094cf813655Martin Hoffmana1fd203afd9a84ee8db567e188cf6ed1d269386eTyler Hruby23493f763b312110686cfafc62578fd0ab5f3833Brittany N. Johnsonc1c1763339f8fa953e3c907c6bb8a3bad0c28b2cCarlos Lua Pineda0a28cc23b0aa00b4f24a9e205aeb57fbdb07ff01Moira McConnell710633400590ea38533ea3412c01fc5056288180Clara McCurdy9aec76477d0b55f9c685c47330d6786ec98182e1Elise McIlhaneyef48481634ff342c8b43c9d56f678b2d3562fb69Cameron Meikle669a5682bfbfd603130a26e25628f24eb07e6295Alexander Christopher Newkirk019c2f5b38c043507251d1789e2fdf47e61c3b7fBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228Oliver Statenc625ae8c3926f5e1a4268bc91d6a6f4cdb1e7fb6Liam Sullivanaa3a1dccb90c7fe4646b61c4af594abbb0c5574aRead Wilder31bf4715220144a665996f2e6cae80a1a8611eadAliza Yazdanicd49f227d88c72331226ddf574bf56c37308cd10Austin Masonf6137011c68eb792c6e14634815583b15e707dea
Spindle Whorl
12017-05-10T21:53:28-07:00Benja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228164562A spindle whorl made of stone or ceramic.plain2017-05-10T21:56:42-07:00Kendall, Aaron. Spindle Whorl. Still Image, 2005. 402471. The Digital Archaeological Record. http://core.tdar.org/image/402471/hrh05-26.775-1049402471CC BY65.467534,-17.263465Stone or ceramicThe Digital Archaeological RecordIceland, North AtlanticViking Age/ Early MedievalBenja Reilly816c23aa0d444213fb2d1ef33555a15617e08228
12017-05-21T22:58:42-07:00Spindle Whorl Fragment8Object pageplain2017-09-21T22:40:59-07:00This simple contraption helps to increase the efficiency of spindles. Spinning is “the process of creating cords, yarn or thread from raw plant, animal, and even metal fibers… spinning raw fiber with a whorl produces both a consistent twist direction and a consistent yarn thickness,” both of which are desirable for weavers.[1]Despite the fact this is a fragment of a spindle whorl, this object was possibly repurposed from the useless fragment of another object, indicating the utilitarian and creative aspect of the Norse. Most importantly, spinning in general affected the overall gender relation of Norse culture.
This object was excavated in 2005. This fragment of a spindle whorl was recovered as part of the Hrísheimar Artifacts, in the Northeast of Iceland. The whorl is approximately 3.5 centimeters wide. This spindle whorl fragment appears to be made of stone, or iron. It does not seem to be necessarily decorated, and is arranged in a semi-circle because it is broken. The lack of decoration most likely stems from its utilitarian use, or the possibility that it is a fragment of another object, such as pottery. Interestingly enough, “Fragments of broken pots were reused as spindle whorls.”[2]Thus indicating the creativity and ingenuity of the Norse. This object was most likely crafted during the Viking age, which spans from approximately 775-1049. It is most likely this object was misplaced or discarded when a settlement was moving, due to the fact it is broken.
While this object seems quite unsuspecting and small, it helped to speed up the process of spinning clothes, and usable cloth. The ability to speed up the process of making clothes was important for the Norse, especially because they could focus on making other objects. For example, by c. 1030, the introduction of sails was very influential on the Norse culture.[3]First, there was the issue of raw material, in order to produce sails, which was solved by the increasing importance of sheep.[4]Second, there was the shift of the importance of activities within Norse culture. Spinning became much more necessary as it directly correlated to the success of the Norse raiders at sea. Third, much more womanpower, the primary weavers of the time, was required to create large sails, and this is where adaptations or advancements such as the spindle whorl come into play. The spindle whorl was very important for the Norse culture. In turn, spinning also influenced the gender relations and breakdown of the Norse. Even though women were the main ones responsible for constructing sails, it demonstrated their integral position in Norse culture.
All in all, this spindle whorl fragment gives material evidence of the importance of spinning in Norse society. It also reflects an overall picture of the gender breakdown of the Norse society. Despite the seemingly small size, this artifact offers a lot of information for historians and archeologists alike.