Textile Production Tools

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Textile Production Tools, Page 1 of 1

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The excavations at the Parthenos sanctuary in ancient Neapolis have unearthed a sizeable collection of spinning and weaving tools, including thirteen spindle whorls, 379 fired clay loom weights, six pierced pot sherds, and one pierced stone. This chapter provides an overview of the assemblage and discusses the dedication of textile tools at sanctuaries in the Aegean and textile manufacture in cult contexts. Just over half of the loom weights (56 per cent) are round or oval with a biconical or lenticular section. Two pieces are true discs with flat sides. The rest are pyramidal (19 per cent), piriform with a pinched top (19 per cent), semi-discoid with a flat top (4 per cent), including five with a V- or U-shaped notch, conical (2 per cent), including probable Corinthian imports. The loom weights are unmarked except for one stamped with a finger ring. There are several sets of identical weights, which were probably made, used, and dedicated at the sanctuary together. The majority of the loom weights are very light (85 per cent fall between 20–80 g) and therefore suited for weaving very fine to medium cloth with yarn that requires very little tension on the loom. The material dates primarily to the Archaic period but later examples occur as well.