La fusaïole Gallo-romaine inscrite de Nyon: provenance et technique

Marino Maggetti, Albert Jornet, Monique Dondin-Payre and Véronique Rey-Vodoz

French

Spindle-whorls, resembling large beads, have a central perforation for the lower end of the spindle, which helps to keep it upright and to speed up its momentum. They are very common and should be differentiated from loom weights which are bigger and suspended from the warp. This study clearly illustrates the importance of using analyses to identify materials. The results also provide valuable information on the regional distribution of these objects in Gaul. The purpose of this text is to study the inscribed Gallo-Roman spindle-whorl from Nyon, mainly to establish whether the material of which it is made is terracotta or stone; if stone, whether it is a bituminous schist.

Publication

Marino Maggetti, Albert Jornet, Monique Dondin-Payre and Véronique Rey-Vodoz, “La fusaïole Gallo-romaine inscrite de Nyon: provenance et technique”, in Annuaire d’archéologie Suisse, 92, 2009, pp.252-255.