Tensioner for a guy-rope, made from whalebone

This tensioner for a guy-rope, made from whalebone, was found on the Brough of Birsay in Orkney. It would have been used to keep the proper tension on a guy-rope, probably for a tent. The object dates from between 850 and 1000.

The tensioner is an elongated figure-of-eight shape. Similar objects in whalebone and wood have been found in Norway.

The remains of whales and other marine mammals were widely exploited in coastal areas of Scotland, especially in the Northern and Western Isles. Whalebone in particular was strong, dense and resilient, and available in very large sizes.

Record details

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Online ID:	000-100-040-606-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland X.HB 279
Date:	Between 850 and 1000
Material:	Whalebone; in form of figure-of-eight
Dimensions:	118 mm L
What:	Line stretcher / guy
Subject:
Who:
Where:	Scotland, Orkney, Brough of Birsay
Event:
Description:	Whalebone line stretcher or guy, from Brough of Birsay, Orkney
References:	Curle, C.L. Pictish and Norse finds from the Brough of Birsay 1934-74. Edinburgh: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1982, pp 76-7.
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