Researching Zagora textile tools

The work of Dr Joanne Cutler, archaeological textile tools specialist

Dr Jo Cutler holding the discoid loom weight
Dr Jo Cutler holding the discoid loom weight. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
This week, Jo Cutler has been with us, working in the Andros Archaeological Museum, researching tools used in making textiles, in the case of Zagora, loom weights and spindle whorls.

Her work on Iron Age textile tools is part of a European Research Council (ERC) funded project, Production and Consumption: Textile Economy and Urbanisation in Mediterranean Europe 1000-500BCE (PROCON). The project is based at the University of Cambridge. Other members of the project team are Margarita Gleba (Principal Investigator) and Susanna Harris.

Loom weights

Loom weights are objects of various shapes and sizes, usually ceramic in the case of Zagora, with a hole pierced through them, which are tied to the vertical strands of yarn (warp threads) to keep them taut by weighing them down while the horizontal threads (weft threads) are woven through the warp threads to make the textile. It is important to have loom weights of the correct size and weight for efficient weaving.

Shots of different angles of a conical spindle whorl found at Zagora
Shots of different angles of a conical spindle whorl found at Zagora. These have painted decoration. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

Spindle whorls

A spindle whorl is attached to a spindle to act as a flywheel when spinning raw fibres, such as wool or linen, into thread.

Jo Cutler

Jo Cutler has a PhD in the archaeology of the Bronze Age Aegean from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London.

In recent years, Jo has learnt to spin and weave in order to better understand the processes she is researching.

Process for researching Zagora textile tools

A staff member from the Andros Archaeological Museum brings Jo the specific textile tools to be researched on a particular day.

Jo selects a tool and visually examines it.

Jo documenting her measurements and observations of the pyramidal loom weight
Jo documenting her measurements and observations of the pyramidal loom weight. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

She measures it in every dimension with a precise measuring tool:
– height
– width
– thickness
– size of the hole measured from both sides

Jo measuring the other side of the base of a pyramidal loom weight.
Jo measuring the base of a pyramidal loom weight; she then measures the other side of the base. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
Jo measuring the size of the hole in the pyramidal loom weight
Jo measuring the hole in the pyramidal loom weight; she then measures it from the reverse side. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

She weighs the artefact.

Jo weighing the pyramidal loom weight
Jo weighing the pyramidal loom weight. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

She photographs the artefact with a small camera set up on a tripod.

Jo photographing the pyramidal loom weight
Jo photographing the pyramidal loom weight. She will photograph it from several angles. The black and white strip below the loom weight indicates size measurement and the colour chart below will help to ensure the final image can be colour corrected. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

She also photographs the artefact with a special digital microscope camera which provides a very clear image of the fabric of the fired clay from which the tool is made. If it is coarse ware, she will clearly see all the inclusions (grains of different kinds of material, such as minerals) that were used to make the clay). This, together with further petrographic analysis, can help to determine whether the clay is local or came from elsewhere.

Jo using the magnification camera on the pyramidal loom weight
Jo using a Dino-Lite (digital microscope) on the pyramidal loom weight. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
Jo's T-shirt fabric, magnified 50 times
We are unable yet to show you the magnified textile tools – that will have to wait until the research is published. But we thought you may like to see how effective the camera is by showing you Jo Cutler’s T-shirt fabric, magnified 50 times with the device. Photo by Jo Cutler.
Jo Cutler's T-shirt fabric, magnified 210 times
We are unable yet to show you the magnified textile tools – that will have to wait until the research is published. But we thought you may like to see how effective the camera is by showing you Jo Cutler’s T-shirt fabric, magnified 210 times with the device. Photo by Jo Cutler.

Jo makes careful notes about her measurements and observations.

Jo documenting the discoid loom weight
Jo documenting the discoid loom weight. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

Jo is doing her research at the museum for three days this week, after which she will take her notes and photographs home, and continue her analysis work. From the size and weight of each artefact, Jo will run calculations to determine what kinds of yarns are likely to have been spun with the spindle whorls, and what kinds of textiles could have been woven with the loom weights.

Her findings will tell us more about the kinds of textiles and their uses, for example, for clothing, blankets, ship sail cloth, funerary shrouds, etc.

They may also provide evidence about travel and migration patterns because these are the kinds of tools that are usually taken by the owners when they move.

Jo Cutler measuring the conical spindle whorl.
Jo Cutler measuring the conical spindle whorl. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
Large and little discoid loom weights
Both sides of a large discoid loom weight and a small discoid-shaped pierced object, probably used as a spindle whorl. The latter is unusual because it appears to have been made from a piece of ceramic sherd that was originally used for something else – an example of Zagoran recycling. Most of the others which have been found were sculpted from clay and fired specifically as textile tools. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

On Wednesdays at 6pm, we usually have a presentation at Zagora by one of the specialists who is working here. Last Wednesday, Jo Cutler delivered a fascinating presentation about her textile tool work – which was followed by an enthusiastic question-and-answer session.

Meg Miller and Jo Cutler fielding questions after Jo's presentation on Wednesday evening at the Kantouni
From left: Meg Miller and Jo Cutler fielding questions after Jo’s presentation on Wednesday evening at the Kantouni. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek
Roza Beshara asking Jo Cutler a question after the presentation
After Jo’s presentation, many team members had more questions to ask her. Here, Roza Beshara, our flotation specialist, is talking to Jo. © AAIA; photo by Irma Havlicek

Many thanks to Jo Cutler for her help with the development of this post – patiently explaining the processes to me, posing for photos and providing suggestions to improve the text.

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2 thoughts on “Researching Zagora textile tools”

  1. This post, with some of the other ones, confirms the fact that The Zagora project attracts stellar talents at all levels. It also illustrates the international status of the research and the very wide significance of its findings. For readers, including experts as well as lay folk, such ready availability of information is most valuable.

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