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Textiles were one of ancient Mesopotamia's main exports. Specialized textile production centers were set up, often employing women and orphaned children to spin wool fiber from the fleece of sheep and then weave it into cloth. While few textiles themselves have survived, there is a wealth of archaeological evidence for textile production, including loom weights and spindle whorls such as the one featured here.

Cylinder Seal Depicting a Childbirth Scene

Name: Spindle Whorl

Material: Clay

Size:
Depth: 1.75 cm (0.69 in)
Diameter: 3.75 cm (1.48 in)

Date: 4000-3100 BCE

Place of Origin: Uruk, Iraq

Location: Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, Illinois

Source and Registration#: Oriental Institute Museum A34606 Link to resource (accessed May 7. 2010).

Jennie Myers

Research Associate, University of Chicago