Spindle whorls and loomweights from Amorgos: contribution to the study of ancient spinning and weaving in the Cyclades

The components of the basic tools for the production of fibers and textiles, the spindle whorls and the loom weights of the vertical loom is the topic of this study. Spindle whorls and loom weights come from both the surface surveys and excavations on the island of Amorgos, Cyclades and have been safely dated from the third millennium BC, Early Bronze Age, to the end of the first BC millennium, the 1st AD. Amorgos is a geographical entity with clear boundaries and important geo-strategic, political and economic importance in the Aegean during the antiquity. According to the method used for the classification in types and variants, of both the spindle whorls and the loom weights, the main identification criterion is, the shape of objects compared to the relationship and of the ratio metrics, particularly height and diameter and their weight, which is the most important parameter. The dating of the spindle whorls, and loom weights come from securely dated excavation contexts. These types and variants are compared with well dated published typological parallels, found in the Aegean. Specific issues are also raised concerning the construction of these objects: the type of raw materials used for their production, clay or stone, which may help to identify the workshops where they were produced. Sealings and incised signs along with use wear traces caused during their use life upon these weights are considered separately. Some lead weights which show similarities in their form with the clay ones are also presented. The known evidence for the available raw materials form fibres and textiles in Amorgos is also examined along with all the excavation evidence for dyeing. An evaluation of the known sources in comparison to the epigraphic evidence is attempted for the better understanding of the Amorgian Garments, Ἀμοργίνοι Χιτῶνες; these garments, were considered as valuable artefacts in Attica and other regions, during the 5th and 4th century. B.C. The study results on spindle whorls and loom weights from the systematic investigations on Amorgos, in relation to the evidence for the available raw materials and dyes on the island, outline the spinning and textile history developed in Amorgos, during a long time. This survey of the local textile production in Amorgos, which it seems thrived there for many centuries, and the tracing for possible relations and influences from other ones, in the rest of the Aegean, contributes to our better understanding of the textile history of the Cyclades during the antiquity.Τὰ ἐξαρτήματα τῶν βασικῶν ἐργαλείων κλωστικῆς καὶ ὑφαντουργίας, τὰ σφονδύλια καὶ τὰ ὑφαντικά βάρη ἤ ἀγνῦθες τῶν ὀρθίων ἀργαλειῶν εἶναι τὸ κύριο ἀντικείμενο τῆς παρούσας ἐργασίας. Τὰ σφονδύλια καὶ ὑφαντικὰ βάρη εἶναι ἀσφαλοῦς προέλευσης καὶ προέρχονται ἀπὸ τὶς ἐπιφανειακὲς καὶ ἀνασκαφικὲς ἔρευνες στὴν Ἀμοργὸ καὶ χρονολογοῦνται ἀπὸ τὴν τρίτη π.Χ χιλιετία, τὴν Πρώιμη Ἐποχή τοῦ Χαλκοῦ ἕως τὸ τέλος τῆς πρώτης π.Χ. χιλιετίας, τὸν 1ο μ.Χ. αἰ. Ἡ Ἀμοργός ἀποτελεῖ μία γεωγραφικὴ ἑνότητα μὲ σαφῆ ὅρια καὶ μὲ σημαντικὴ γεωστρατηγικὴ, πολιτικὴ καὶ οἰκονομικὴ σημασία στὸ Αἰγαῖο Σύμφωνα μὲ τὴν μέθοδο ποὺ ἀκολουθεῖται γιὰ τὴν κατάταξη σὲ τύπους και παραλλαγὲς, τόσον τῶν σφονδύλιων, ὅσον καὶ τῶν ὑφαντικῶν βαρῶν κύριο κριτήριο διάκρισης ἀποτελεῖ τὸ σχῆμα τῶν ἀντικειμένων σὲ συνδυασμὸ καὶ σὲ σύγκριση μὲ τὴν σχέση καὶ τὴν ἀναλογία μετρικῶν στοιχείων, κυρίως τοῦ ὕψους καὶ τῆς διαμέτρου καὶ κυρίως τοῦ βάρους τους, ποὺ ἀποτελεῖ καὶ τὴν σημαντικὸτερη παραμέτρο. Ἡ χρονολόγηση τοῦ ὑλικοῦ προκύπτει ἀσφαλέστερα ἀπὸ τὴν συνεξέταση τῶν ἀνασκαφικῶν συμφραζομένων ἀφοῦ τόσον, τὰ σφονδύλια ὅσον, καὶ τὰ ὑφαντικὰ βάρη, στὴν μεγάλη τους πλειονότητα, προέρχονται ἀπὸ συστηματικὲς ἀνασκαφικὲς ἔρευνες. Μὲ αὐτὰ συγκρίνονται τυπολογικὰ παράλληλα, ἀνὰ τύπο καὶ παραλλαγὴ, ἀπὸ χρονολογημένα καὶ δημοσιευμένα συνόλα ποὺ βρέθηκαν σὲ θέσεις σὲ ὅλο τὸ Αἰγαῖο. Θίγονται ἐπίσης ἐπιμέρους ζητήματα ποὺ ἀφοροῦν στὴν κατασκευή αυτών τῶν ἀντικειμένων: τὸ εἶδος τῶν ὑλικῶν, πηλὸς ἤ λίθος, ἀπὸ τὰ ὁποῖα ἔγιναν, καὶ τὰ ἐπιμέρους χαρακτηριστικά τους ποὺ εἶναι δυνατὸν νὰ βοηθήσουν στὴν ἀναγνώριση τῶν ἐργαστηρίων παραγωγῆς τους. Τὰ σφραγίσματα καὶ τὰ χαράγματα καὶ τὰ ἴχνη πρόσδεσης καὶ φθορᾶς ποὺ προκλήθηκαν κατὰ τὴν χρήση ἐπάνω στὰ βάρη ἐξετάζονται χωριστά. Σὲ σύγκριση τὰ ὑφαντικὰ παρουσιάζονται καὶ τὰ μολύβδινα βάρη καθώς παρουσιάζουν ὁμοιότητα στὴν μορφή τους μὲ τὰ πήλινα. Ἐπίσης ἐπιχειρεῖται ἡ συγκέντρωση τῶν μαρτυριῶν γιὰ τὶς διαθέσιμες πρῶτες ὕλες στὴν Ἀμοργὸ καὶ οἱ ἀνασκαφικὲς ἐνδείξεις γιὰ τὴν κναφική. Ὑπὸ τὸ πρίσμα τῶν ἐπιγραφικῶν μαρτυριῶν καὶ ἐπιχειρεῖται μία ἀποτίμηση τῶν ἑρμηνειῶν τῆς ἔρευνας περί τῶν Ἀμοργίνων Χιτώνων. Τὰ ἐνδύματα αὐτὰ, θεωρούντο πολύτιμα στὴν Ἀττική, καὶ σὲ ἄλλες περιοχὲς, κατὰ τὸν 5ο καὶ 4ο αἰ. π.Χ. Ἡ σύνδεση τῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων τῆς μελέτης τῶν σφονδυλίων καὶ τῶν ὑφαντικῶν βαρῶν ἀπὸ τὶς συστηματικὲς ἔρευνες στὴν Ἀμοργὸ, μὲ τὶς μαρτυρίες γιὰ τὶς διαθέσιμες στὸ νησὶ πρῶτες ὕλες καὶ χρωστικές οὐσίες, ποὺ ἐπιχειρεῖται, ἐπιδιώκει τὴν πληρέστερη, κατά τὸ δυνατὸν, σκιαγράφηση τῆς ἱστορίας τῶν τεχνικῶν νηματουργίας καὶ ὑφαντικῆς, ποὺ ἀναπτύχθηκαν στὴν Ἀμοργό, κατὰ τὴν διάρκεια ἑνὸς μεγάλου χρονικοῦ διαστήματος. Ἡ διερεύνηση τῶν ἰδιομορφιῶν τῆς τοπικῆς παραγωγῆς ὑφαντῶν στὴν Ἀμοργὸ, ποὺ φαίνεται ὅτι ἤκμασε ἐκεῖ, γιὰ πολλοὺς αἰῶνες, καθὼς καὶ τῶν σχέσεων καὶ τῶν πιθανῶν ἐπιδράσεων της μὲ ἄλλες, ποὺ εἶναι δυνατὸν νὰ ἀνιχθευθοῦν στὸ ὑπόλοιπο Αἰγαῖο, βοηθᾶ στὴν κατανόηση τῶν συστατικῶν στοιχείων μίας παραδόσεως ὑφαντικῆς τοπικοῦ χαρακτήρα