an artists' view

an artists' view

Saturday 10 September 2011

Spinning the Whorl




It's been such a busy summer. I've not had a chance to write up all the things that have been happening. And now here's September again, and things are cranking up back into action with work.

A while ago, Jon and I went to East Yorkshire when it was Archaeology Week, and visited a farm near Driffield where they were holding a display and activities to be part of the celebrations.

They have a replica of the 'Wetwang Chariot' on display, and a video of it being pulled by a horse, and a woman riding/steering it. It's an amazing reproduction, and I was reminded of the Ferrybridge Chariot which was dug up when the the 'new' M62/A1 connection road was being built. I saw it when it was on display at Pontefract Museum. Sadly it's now in storage, as there isn't enough space to keep it on permanent display.
These finds make me wonder what is beneath our feet that we know nothing about; mysteries which only turn up when roadbuilding occurrs.

Still; the day out in East Yorkshire was fun. And I got to see a replica Anglo-Saxon loom, with loom-weights made from the holed stones found on the east Yorkshire beaches. I had a go on that.




I also found someone to demonstrate how to spin using a drop-spindle. We had a real laugh as we experimented! It's harder than it looks! And those women using the drop-spindles would do it at the same time as they were doing something else!
I have utter respect for them!

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