The third post in our advent calendar is a small spindle whorl from the city of Sigtuna, Sweden.
It’s made from a femoral head. The shape have been adjusted from the original shape and the whorl have now a cone shape. That shape is not so common with the whorls made out of femoral heads. So someone put some effort into this piece.
Right now we not 100% certain on the dating. But roughly it’s the same age as the other finds from Sigtuna. Approx. late 10th century – early 14th. Will update when we have the correct info.
Today it can be found in the collections of Sigtuna museum.
/ Amica and Maria
Photos: Historical Textiles- pease cred us if sharing
Textile tools
Advent calendar December 1 2019
This years first calendar post is some lovely scissors and timbles from the medieval city of Nyköping, Sweden.
They are all found in the centre of the medieval city and are dated 13th-15th century.
Today the scissors can be found in the collection of Sörmlands museum and are exhibit in the medieval exhibition at Nyköpingshus / Nyköping castle. The castle have a very interesting history. Check it up if you wanna know where George R.R Martin got some inspiration when writing GoT.
Here are the post in the data base.
The one in the middle
The one to the right
/ Amica and Maria
Photos: Historical Textiles- pease cred us if sharing
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Spindel whorl from Sigtuna, SF 1502:ac inv. 123464
Spindel whorls made of bone have been found at many archeological excavations, from Swedish cities. They are dated from late 10th century and onwards to the 14-15th century.
The design is as simple as it is genius. A femoral head from an animal have been cut in half and a hole have been drilled in the centre of the semicircle piece. Creating a perfectly round spindle whorl. Sometimes a disc have been cut from the femoral head, making a slightly lighter whorl.
The whorls are sometimes decorated. Most common are the plain once.
The spindle whorl from Sigtuna is just one out of many, and we plan to post more pictures and measurements from them here on the blog.
SF 1502:ac inv. 123464
The spindle whorl measures 442mm wide, 24 mm thick.
It weighs 22g.
Dating- this whorl is undated, but similar whorls have been found from Sigtuna and they are dated 985-1000, 1075-1100, 1125-1175. So we can put this whorl in the same time.
Today it can be found in the collections of Sigtuna museum. Sigtuna was the first city in Sweden and the city was founded at the end of the 10th century. The city is very cute and if you ever visit Stockholm or Uppsala- take a detour to Sigtuna!
Happy spinning!
/ Amica and Maria
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Advent calendar December 21th 2018
Our twenty-first advent calendar post is a once again a textile tool. A small lucet made in bone. It’s a find from the city of Sigtuna, the first city of Sweden.
It’s dated 11th-13th century
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles 
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Advent calendar December 16th 2018
Our sixteenth advent calendar post is a selection of spindle whorls. They all comes from various archeological excavations from different Swedish cities. The whorls are made out of clay, lead, and bone.
The whorls have different shapes and weighs differently.
They whorls are dated 13-16th century.
Now in collections of Historiska museet, Sweden.
/ Amica and Maria
Photo: Historical Textiles
Clay 
Approx. 3 cm Ø 
Lead – 42,2 g, approx. 3,5 cm Ø 
Clay 
Approx. 3 cm Ø 
Clay 
Approx. 2,5- 3 cm Ø 
Bone 
Approx. 3 cm Ø
