A lead ring-shaped tool dating to the Viking Age. This item is typical of the spindle whorls used for weaving wool into yarn. As the other components of spindles are made from organic products, often the spindle whorl is the only surviving archaeological evidence for the practice. This whorl is rare in that it is covered with runic writing naming several Norse gods. It demonstrates a real and lasting belief among the women of this period in the power of supernatural deities to watch over them.
Photo Credit Portable Antiquities Scheme
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