EMAP_2012_Report_6_1.pdf (7.3 MB) - The Heritage Council

addition to the tools noted above, evidence for the processing of raw materials has been
included in this figure. This includes partially-processed wool fleece at Lagore, and retting
wells at Castlefarm, as noted above, and a total of ten sites with flax seeds or other parts.
Three of these sites (Drumadoon, Lisnagun and Lisleagh), however, had no other evidence
for textile working.
The limited number of sites makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the extent and
distribution of such preparatory work, which of necessity must have been carried out prior to
further processing. The geographical distribution shows no sites in Connacht, with eight in
Leinster (Louth, Meath, Offaly and Westmeath), seven in Munster (Clare, Cork, Kerry and
Limerick) and two in Ulster (Antrim). This cannot accurately reflect early medieval practices,
but rather issues of excavation locations, preservation for wooden tools in particular, and
correct identification of parts of composite tools.
Spinning tools
The next step for both animal or vegetable fibres involved hand-spinning them into thread
using a long wooden spike (spindle) and small circular-shaped, centrally-perforated objects
known as spindle whorls (see O'Brien 2010). Spindles were usually made from wood, and
therefore rarely survive, although examples have been identified in waterlogged sites at Deer
Park Farms (Earwood 1993, 135), Lagore (Hencken 1950, 162), Ballinderry II (Hencken 1942,
60), Winetavern Street, Dublin (Heckett 2003, 89) and Waterford (Hurley & McCutcheon
1997, 588-9). A wooden spindle with a sandstone whorl still in place was found at the
crannog of Moylarg, Co. Antrim (Buick 1893, 34). A wooden forked stick or distaff was used
to hold the unspun fibres, keeping them untangled and therefore easing the process of
spinning; very rare potential examples of wooden distaffs were found at Lough Faughan,
Lagore, Ballinderry II (Patterson 1955, 81-2) and Waterford, and possible bone distaffs have
been identified at Deer Park Farms (Wincott Heckett 2011, 364) and Raystown (Seaver 2010,
277). Spindle whorls are a far more frequent find, occurring on 84 of the sites in the
gazetteer; these whorls could be manufactured from stone (soft sandstones, shales and
chlorite) or bone (the rounded heads of ox femora) and also occasionally of antler and
possibly wood (Edwards 1990, 81). A number of lead pan weights with central perforations
recorded from Woodstown may also have functioned as whorls (O'Brien et al. 2005, 71).
Whorls were generally disc-shaped or hemispherical, but bone and antler examples with a
characteristic bowl-shape may have been turned on a lathe. One possible lathe-turned
decorated antler whorl and a disc-shaped stone example were found at Killickaweeny, dating
from the eighth to tenth century (Walsh 2008, 48).
Of the sites with spindle whorls/other spinning equipment, 46 produced just a single whorl,
leaving 38 sites with larger quantities. Most of these were small, but larger numbers occurred
at the sites in Table 8.1. Such quantities may suggest possible concentrations of spinning, or
periods in which this process was carried out intensively (see Cotter 1999, 71 regarding
Cahercommaun). It might also reflect the making of these tools, as some sites, notably
Cahercommaun, Garryduff I and Knowth, also produced evidence for the manufacture of
stone spindle whorls, usually in the form of roughouts, unfinished examples and those broken
during the drilling of the central perforated hole.
Site Number of whorls Materials Other spinning tools
Deer Park Farms 8 4 stone, 4 wood Possible bone distaff
Woodstown 6 At least 10 8 possible lead, plural stone ---
Kilgreany 11 10 bone, 1 stone ---
Rathmullan Lower At least 12 10 stone, plural antler ---
Garryduff 19 18 stone, 1 bone ---
Carraig Aille I 22 12 bone, 10 stone ---
Knowth 22 15 stone, 4 bone, 2 lead, 1 clay ---
Ballinderry II 22 16 stone, 6 bone 5 wooden spindles & 2
distaffs
Lagore 27 15 bone, 11 shale, 1 wood 10 wooden spindles & 2
distaffs
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