Spindle with attached spindle whorl

The object illustrated here is the only metal spindle known so far from the Cypriot Bronze Age. At the top of the shaft is a spiraling groove for the yarn, which winds round three times. At the mid-point is a clay spindle whorl, below which are traces of organic fibre, preserved due to the oxidation of the metal. With the exception of stone and clay spindle whorls, equipment associated with spinning and weaving was made almost entirely of perishable materials (textiles, yarns and wood). Consequently, knowledge of textile production in Bronze Age Cyprus is very limited. However, as it becomes clear from contemporary texts and iconographic evidence from Egypt and the Near East, weaving was a flourishing craft and its products were widely traded in that period. This spindle is an important source of information on weaving techniques in prehistoric Cyprus and the interactions with various regions of the wider Eastern Mediterranean basin and especially Asia Minor.