The Construction, Use, and Discard of Female Identities: Interpreting Spindle Whorls at Vindolanda and Corbridge

Abstract

Spindle whorls are one of the most durable traces of the textile craft in the archaeological record. They can be found in copious quantities and diverse types in forts and extramural settlements on the Romano British northern frontier. The connection between spinning tools and female identity, although widely recognised and studied in the burial record, has seldom prompted in-depth observation of whorls and their characteristics, either individually or as assemblages, along the frontiers of the Empire. The following paper will explore how shape, size, decoration, and use wear marks on spindle whorls from Vindolanda and Corbridge can reveal insights into the practice of spinning. By analysing the distribution and physical properties of whorls in the north-western quadrant of Vindolanda, an attempt will also be made to connect the spinning practice to the construction and performance of female identity.