Colchester Archaeological Report 2: The Roman small finds

CATEGORY 3: OBJECTS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OR WORKING OF
NEEDLES
TEXTILES
SEWING NEEDLES
The width of the head of most bone and copper-alloy
needles seems to imply that they were used only for
sewing very coarse cloth. However, several of the
catalogued examples were used on hessian with
seven warp threads to each 10.0mm and it was
apparent that even a needle with a maximum
diameter of 6.0mm does not leave large holes in the
material. Pushing through each new stitch has the
effect of closing up the threads around the preceding
stitch. Spatulate-headed needles caused less
displacement of the threads than round ones. Clearly,
though, it would be advisable always to select the
thinnest possible needle (eg Fig 70, 1993) when
sewing finer materials, and to use a thread of
approximately the same diameter as those from
which the cloth was woven. Only needles with
complete eyes have been catalogued, except where
the type can be distinguished and the context is of
importance with regard to dating the type.
Type 1 (Fig 70; 1954-1975). Needles with a
pointed head. Type 1 is only found in bone, and is the
counterpart of bone hairpin Types 1 and 2, being a
simple tapering shaft with a pointed head. The length
of the head varies. Some are quite long, eg Fig 70,
1963. The eyes are either rectangular, circular or
figure-of-eight shaped. Circular and figure-of-eight
eyes were drilled through the head. In the latter case
two perforations were made, either slightly
overlapping, or sufficiently close together to enable
them to be linked by a rectangular cut panel.
Occasionally three overlapping perforations were
drilled. The circular eye of Fig 70, 1959, is slightly
wider on one side than the other, indicating that the
maximum width of the drill bit did not pass completely
through the shaft. Rectangular eyes could be made
with either a knife or a fine chisel. They vary
considerably in the degree of finish achieved. Most
were worked obliquely inwards from both faces and
the sides of the eye are consequently bevelled. The
bevels are usually more pronounced to the top and
bottom of the eye. Type 1 needles parallel bone
hairpin Types 1 and 2 not only in style but also in date.
One catalogued example, 1969, derives from a 2ndcentury
context. The total number recovered is
insufficient to enable a terminal date to be postulated
for the type, which also turns up in 3rd- and 4thcentury,
and post-Roman, contexts. Some examples
are dyed green, another parallel with early bone
hairpins (see pp 20-1).
65
a) rectangular eye
1954 Fig 70 SF LWC 3171, P2. Surface clearing. Unstratified. The
point is missing. Length 50.0mm. Dyed green. Maximum
width 5.5 mm.
1956 Fig 70 SF BKC 4786, T74 F19. Postpit. Period 5b. The point is
missing. Length 64.5mm. Maximum width 5.0mm.
b) round eye
1959 Fig 70 SF BKC 2906, J7 L1. Site clearance. Complete
Length 74.0mm. Maximum width 4.5mm. Dyed green.
c) figure-of-eight eye
1963 Fig 70 SF LWC 922, B471 F166. Pit. Period 5. Complete.
Length 124.5 mm. Maximum width 4.5 mm.
1974 Fig 70 SF IRA 2, 2 F2. Pit. Probably 2nd century. Complete,
slightly bent. Length 112.0mm. Maximum width 4.0mm.
The two holes for the eye were not lined up correctly.
1975 Fig 70 SF BUC 658, C1312 L1. Period 2. The point and the
top of the head are missing. Length 94.0mm. Maximum
width 4.5mm. The needle had two eyes, the lower one a
figure-of-eight, the upper either a single circle or a figure-ofeight.
Type 2 (Fig 70; 1976-1990). Needles with a flat
spatulate head. This type is found in both bone and
copper alloy. The copper-alloy examples all have a
rectangular eye and were probably cast. The bone
examples have either a rectangular or a figure-ofeight
eye. One is dyed green which indicates a 1st-or
2nd-century date for the type. All but one of the
needles that can be allocated to this type derive from
3rd- and 4th-century contexts. Only 1979 is
definitely Type 2 and from a 2nd-century context.
Three others, 1987, 1988, and 1990, all copperalloy
and therefore presumably not Type 1 and lacking
the groove below the eye of Type 3, derive from late
1st-century contexts, and a fourth, 1989, comes from
2nd-century rampart material at Lion Walk. A bone
spatulate-headed needle from Verulamium (St
Albans, Hertfordshire) was found in a context dated
155/160 (Waugh and Goodburn 1972, fig 55,198). It
therefore seems apparent that copper-alloy Type 2
needles were in production in the 1st century, but the
evidence is lacking to confirm that bone examples of
the type were produced before the 2nd century. In
view of the high number of both bone and copperalloy
Type 2 needles deriving from late Roman
contexts, it seems likely that the type was current
throughout the Roman period.
a) rectangular eye
1976 Fig 70 SF LWC 3773(C), K507 F287. Gully. Period 3?
Copper-alloy. In three fragments. Length 149.0mm.
Maximum width 9.5 mm. There are two slight incised
grooves both above and below the eye (Neal and Butcher
1974, fig 64, 228).
1977 Fig 70 SF BKC 5161(C), V224 L22. Dump. Late Period 5.