Do you think she is telling an untruth? Fidding, even?
2 Likes
I don’t quite understand your point? That is a wooden splicing fid, they’re essential tools on tall ships and you can still buy them today.
Just like the above item is most likely a pestle. It’s decorated with a phallus, but that isn’t uncommon for Roman material culture. That isn’t to say that dildos didn’t exist back then, but I don’t believe this is an example of one.
9 Likes
Is the string to use with beads?
1 Like
Sure, if you aren’t good with knots. 
2 Likes
Exactly. As someone who darned until my 30’s, that was my first reaction. This letter to the editor at the Guardian suggests something even more likely, but the same general idea:
Especially important to note is that it was found in a grouping of other craft supplies.
8 Likes
“Craft supplies”. I mean, sure… who’d look for it in there?!
4 Likes
The problem with that theory is that we know exactly what Roman drop spindles looked like. Spindle whorls are one of the more common artefact from the Bronze Age on, so every archaeologist working in this area and time period is familiar with them. And unfortunately this isn’t what a Roman spindle would look like. It was much narrower, the weight being provided by a stone or pottery (or in the case of the Romans, often lead) spindle whorl, rather than by the extending width of the wooden shaft.
I have no idea about darning, whether the Romans used it and which tools they needed for it. One would have to ask a textile archaeologist for that. But as I said, rather than being obscure, as the layperson commenter in the Guardian seems to think, spindles are the bread and butter of European archaeology, one not being recognised is unlikely. I still lean towards pestle for this artefact, but if darning was a thing in Roman Britain, I can see that as well.
ETA: I just saw the comment of an eminent textile archaeologist on Facebook. This is all she said: “How in hell is that a drop spindle??!!”
ETA2: She continues “cannot imagine spinning with this huge thing. Your yarn and spindle would flop around like a flat tire 
”
11 Likes
Only twenty minutes to go, but I just wanted to add that the term for a device used for darning is a darning egg. A quick google shows many tools like this.
It’s not much of a stretch to imagine the handle carved into a phallus as a bit of Roman drollery.
7 Likes
Or the actions of a bored Belgian or Dutch legionary
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
