The interpretation of loomweights in various archaeological contexts
The interpretation of loomweights in various archaeological contexts

Summary/Abstract: At most settlement sites in the Mediterranean, as well as at many necropoleis, artefacts interpreted as loomweights have been uncovered within contexts dating from the Bronze Age to the Roman period. These smallish objects, mostly made of clay, were essential for the production of textiles. Regrettably, loomweights have not attracted the scholarly attention due to them for a long time. However, in recent years they have become a focus of interest, especially in publications of excavated material. This has allowed the current author to distinguish five principal types of context in which artefacts of this class have been encountered in the process of archaeological exploration. Their classification and interpretation will be discussed in the present paper.

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