Spindle whorl

Burial from Veien - cremation grave from the Late Roman Iron Age
c.200 - 400CE

Textiles decompose quickly when buried and are rarely preserved in graves. In addition, cremation burials tend to leave little organic materials. Therefore, we often only find the tools used to make textiles, such as this spindle whorl made of iron used for spinning thread.  

A spindle whorl provides a unique insight into daily life in prehistory. Working with textiles and clothing production was a central part of activity on Iron Age farms. Threads, essential for weaving and sewing, were meticulously crafted from wool or plant-based materials like linen or nettle. A great amount of thread was needed to have enough for a piece of clothing. In the Iron Age, all thread was made using a spindle. The spindle consisted of a straight stick fitted through a spindle whorl, which provided crucial weight to the spindle's downward motion. A spindle might resemble a spinning top in its appearance.