Spindle whorls

Figure 13. Chondtite-normalized REE patterns for soapstone from the central Labrador coast. Dashed curves (%--%) outline the range of three samples from the Moore s Island, Okak outcrops (M) and two artifacts made of this soavstone. The Eskimo Island (O) artifact is from a Labrador Eskimo site (historic period) in Hamilton Inlet and the Koliktakik (A) artifact is from a soapstone pot from a late Dorset Eskimo site in the Nain region. A sample of the soapstone outcrop near Vanse aux Meadows (L) is shown (0) along with the Viking spindle whorl (A) made from this material.

The other sample of particular interest was a spindle whorl from what is considered to be a Viking settlement at L anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland (16), A small (20 mg) sample of this unique artifact was provided by Parks Canada. After duplicate analysis of 10-mg samples, the material could be returned to Canada for further testing since INAA is a nondestructive technique. As can be seen in Figure 13, the spindle whorl has a very similar REE distribution pattern to a sample of soapstone collected from an outcrop about a mile from the habitation site (17). 

While the L anse aux Meadows spindle whorl is similar to those found in Greenland and Norway, its origin may be enigmatic. It is possible that the Norse settlers at L anse aux Meadows discovered the... 

McMeekin, D. 1992. Representations on pre-Columbian spindle whorls of the floral and fruit structure of economic plants Economic Botany 46(2) . 171-180. 

That the introduction of woolen textiles and a wholesale shift from flax took place in the Uruk period, if not before, now seems clear (McCorriston 1997 Kouchoukos 1998 Sudo 2010), the sociopolitical ramifications of which were discussed in Chapter 1. Further evidence places that transition even earlier in the fourth millennium than previously recognized. Already in level 20 there are indications that woolen textile production was a major part of the economy of Brak. These include a number of spindle whorls in the tool assemblage, and although weights are not provided - which would indicate whether they were used for wool or flax (Keith in Stein et al. 1997 137 Sudo 2010) - they seem to be of the kind appropriate to wool. A spectacle idol (Fig. 13) reused in a wall was also found in level 20 (McMahon and Oates 2007 153-4). Often equated with eye idols, it has been suggested that these objects, considerably larger and more rudimentary than the eyes, were used in textile production (Breniquet 1996 ... 

Fibroblastic meningioma Spindle cells interdigitating cell processes and desmosomes (thick collagen) (whorls)" Vimentin (-I-) EMA (S) S-100 (R) Falx, tentorium meninges choroid plexus... 

Brief description Branching planar, pinnate, and plumose. Short and very narrow lateral branches arise from the main stem. The lateral branches do not branch further. Sclerites range in length from 0.05 to 0.16 mm, and are straight or slightly curved spindles with three to six transverse whorls of tubercles. Some scaphoids are distinct and have smooth tubercles on the convex side, while others are less distinct and have ornamented tubercles on both the convex and concave sides. The sclerites are yellow or red. ... 

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