A lead spindle whorl dating from the Early Medieval or Medieval period, about AD 600 - 1600. It is roughly circular and is heavily worn, with one flat face and one convex face. There is a central, circular perforation, of 9.00mm diameter which is cracked and misshapen. The side walls are very worn and pitted. The convex face of the whorl is very bumpy and this may be the remains of moulded decoration such as pellets. The whorl has a cream coloured patina.

Helen Geake writes: "Dating of lead whorls is difficult. The drop spindle with which they were used continued in use until the end of the medieval period in London and Winchester (Egan 1998, "The Medieval Household: Daily Living c1150 - c1450"; and Biddle, 1990, "Object and Economy in Medieval Winchester"), and for perhaps a century longer in Norfolk (Margeson, 1993, "Norwich Households: Medieval and Post Medieval finds from Norwich Survey Excavations 1971 - 78"). The excavated assemblage from Winchester contains one lead whorl from a mid to late 10th century context." Undecorated spindle whorls can therefore date from the Roman, Early Medieval or Medieval periods. It has been pointed out that the weight of a spindle whorl is suggestive of the thickness of yarn produced, with lighter spindle whorls (3 - 5 grams) being used for spinning cotton and the heavier ones (30 - 35 grams) for spinning wool (Margeson 1993, 184). According to this, this lead whorl was probably used for spinning a fine yarn.

Diameter :20.20mm, Thickness: 7.50mm, Weight: 15gms