Publication details
Spinners without whorls? On spindle whorls found in La Tène graves in Moravia and changes in textile production during the Late Iron Age
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| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Chapter in a book |
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| Description | This study examines spindle whorls from La Tene period graves (LT A–C1) in Moravia and evaluates their significance within funerary practices. The analysed set of spindle whorls is associated mostly with female graves, but their occurrence is rare (as in neighbouring areas) and is probably more a reflection of the deposition of non-standard grave goods than a symbol of status or an indicator of the extent of textile production. By comparison, in settlements from LT B onwards we see a decrease in the number of hand-formed spindle whorls, while discs cut from potsherds with a central perforation appear, predominating from LT C (accompanied perhaps by all-wooden spindles). During the La Tene period, textile production apparently underwent a transformation: preserved fabric fragments show that, compared to the Hallstatt period, standardization took place, facilitating production in larger volumes. However, a comparison of the distribution and frequency of spindle whorls in settlements has yet to reveal any signs of a transition to mass-produced standardized textiles or their concentration/centralization of the production for the later stages of the La Tene period. |
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