The contribution of experimental archaeology in addressing the analysis of residues on spindle-whorls

This contribution focuses on residues developing on spindle-whorls during spinning. Such a kind of tools is largely diffused in archaeological contexts where spindle-whorls were used in textile activities or deposited in burials as grave goods. Scholars recently approached the analysis of these objects through experimental archaeology to better understand their wide variation in size and shape especially in relationship with the adoption of specific spinning techniques or the quality of the fibres processed for producing different kinds of yarn. The method presented here highlights the contribution of controlled experiments to identify and to study the formation of organic deposits on spindle-whorls after repeated and intentional use. Moreover, this article provides a preliminary reference collection of experimental residues combining different techniques of observation and different magnifications (Optical Light Microscopes - OLM and Scanning Electron Microscope - SEM) on ceramic replicas to address the residues investigation on textile tools in archaeological contexts.