An ebay find of a bone spindle.
[attachment=2173]spindle.jpg[/attachment]
The kicker is, it's only about 3 inches long, which makes it rather useless for spinning. There are a bunch of similar items in the British museum and one of artifact listings has a note that it was dedicated by worshipers to the goddess Artemis.
Anyone have any idea what it is? Are they representations of spindles used as offerings? If so, why Artemis? Goddess of young women as opposed to a goddess associated with spinning? Is it a weaving or netting tool of some sort? Or is it a toy spindle? Any ideas? I'm stumped.
Sorry. If it helps, someone has bought it outside of ebay and the seller is reputable, verified by her history professor.
I was thinking hairpin but it looks a bit thick to be one. I'll see if I can find picture of Roman updos and see if I can see evidence of a hairpin like that. All the existent hairpins I've seen have been skinny metal so I didn't immediately think hairpin.
I recently excavated a bone hair pin in a late first century context (in UK) and they look very similar to me. (All legal and above board...I'm an archaeologist :wink: and I won't post a picture as it is the "property" of the client!!)
With regards to thickness...it is worked bone, don't forget (and VERY skillful you need to be too) AND if you have masses of hair to pin up, you need something with a bit of strength
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
I don't claim to be an expert, though I have spun a little thread, and made a couple of effective drop spindles. The whole looks too small to be an effective drop spindle. Most of the ones I've seen have a groove, notch or something at the top of the spindle shaft to help direct the thread. And typically, the whorls are a little larger diameter. If I had to vote, I'd vote for 1) a hairpin, or 2) something other than either a hairpin or a drop spindle.
I think the term "spindle" threw me in the British museum entries. That's the description of the piece, not the function. All the accession dates are like 1901 or earlier and generic descriptions like that are typical of their earlier collections. Things were thrown into a box and never relabeled. I also do knitting history and there are loads of artifacts labeled "knitted" that are not because it was a way to distinguish it from woven fabric. Drives me nuts.
