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CLAY-DISK WITH FINGER IMPRESSION (TYA 642: 532)
Type: Fragment of clay-disk.
Use: Probably a weight for upright loom warp yarns.
Site: Raisio, Ihala, Mulli abode.
Period: Viking Age / Crusade Age / Early Middle Ages.
Dating: 980-1220 A.D.
Weight: 56 g.
Photographer: Antti Huittinen.
More than 67 kg of fragments of clay-disks have been discovered in Mulli abode. The disks have been shaped in clay and there is a hole in them. After shaping the disks were usually burnt. These items have been presumed to be, e.g., weights for nets or mouthpieces for bellows. In Mulli, clay-disks were most probably used as weights for warp yarns of upright looms when a fabric was woven. Clay-disks are known in Finland from the 4th century to the 13th century in abodes, cemeteries and prehistoric castles.
The diameter of the clay-disks of Mulli is 9-14 cm and the weight is 300-1100 g. There are several kinds of ornaments in the disks, like circular crosses, stick impressions, finger impressions, cord impressions and hole impressions.
In this fragment of a clay-disk there is an impression of a thumb clearly visible and on the bottom a groove left by the thumb nail.
Other pictures:
Other related topics:
Coordinates: x=93, y=503.45, z=680, unit 3009.
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