Weaving tablets of bone

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These bone weaving tablets were used to produce decorative braids. They were found at Jarlshof in Shetland, at the Broch of Burrian on North Ronaldsay in Orkney, at Harbour Broch at Keiss in Caithness, at Keil Cave in Argyll and at Tain in Ross-shire.

The weaving tablets pictured here are circular, rectangular or triangular in shape. Most have perforations in different patterns. The tablet on the bottom left is an unused rough-out.

Weaving tablets were used to produce decorative braids and bands, perhaps to attach to clothing as borders. The threads or yarn were fed through the holes and then plaited to produce bands.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-100-037-881-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  X.HSA 4156
• Date: Between 200 BC and 200 AD
  
• Material: Bone; circular; two hour-glass perforations; central ring and dot ornament; broken
  Bone; circular; with four holes
  Bone; circular; with two holes
  Bone; square; two pairs of small irregular perforations; near the centre an incised square with a dot in each corner
  Bone; thin; corners perforated
  Bone; triangular
  Bone; triangular; perforation near each corner; one corner broken
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet / blank
  
• Dimensions: 1.25" D
  1.25" D
  1.35" x 1.30"
  1.38" x 1.38"
  1.40" D
  1.75" L
  1.75" x 2.00"
  
• What: Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet
  Weaving tablet / blank
  
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where: Scotland, Argyll, Southend, Keil Cave
  Scotland, Caithness, Keiss Harbour
  Scotland, Orkney, North Ronaldsay, Burrian
  Scotland, Ross and Cromarty, Tain
  Scotland, Shetland, Sumburgh, Jarlshof
  Scotland, Shetland, Sumburgh, Jarlshof (Broch)
  Scotland, Shetland, Sumburgh, Jarlshof (Broch)
  
• Event:
• Description: Circular bone weaving tablet with four holes, from Jarlshof
  Circular bone weaving tablet with two holes, from Jarlshof
  Circular weaving tablet of bone with two hour-glass perforations and central ring-and-dot ornamentation, from Burrian
  Triangular bone blank for a weaving tablet, from Harbour Broch, Keiss
  Triangular bone weaving tablet with a perforation near each corner, from Keil Cave, Argyll
  Square bone weaving tablet with perforated corners, from Tain
  Square bone weaving tablet with two pairs of small irregular perforations, from Jarlshof
  
• References:
  • MacGregor, Arthur. The Broch of Burrian, North Ronaldsay, Orkney. Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 105 (1972-4), pp 63-118, esp. pp 79-80, 110. 
• Translations:
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