Medieval whorls

Last summer I participated in an archaeological dig in Cromarty, on the Black Isle, in Scotland, on a medieval site. Although my favorite time period is quite a bit earlier, the excitement of discovering, cleaning, and handling items like those that any spinner today would recognize, was extraordinary. My favorite part was cleaning the artifacts. Washing artifacts is its own little dig, clearing away centuries of dirt to reveal amazing objects. Several spindle whorls were found. Some of them were purpose made and others were repurposed from pot sherds. It made me think of people who use CD disks, cup hooks, and dowels to make drop spindles. I love the continuity and connection that learning about textile production over the millennia gives.