Spindle whorls

The textiles used to make clothing and other useful objects were woven on looms. Spinning and weaving would have been time-consuming household tasks. Whorls like these were used to weight the end of sticks called spindles, which hand-spinners used to twist wool into yarn for weaving. These whorls from Lanarkshire, Scotland are all made from sandstone, although spindle whorls can also be made from other types of stone, bone or clay.