Abstract This study examines unique spindle whorls uncovered during excavations at the Crusader town and castle of Arsur (Apollonia-Arsuf) on Israel’s central coastal plain. These discoid whorls exhibit morphological and stylistic traits characteristic of medieval northern Europe, contrasting sharply with local Levantine types. One specimen bears faint incisions possibly imitating runic script, suggesting cultural links beyond mere functionality. Comparative analysis with Norse and Anglo-Scandinavian artifacts, alongside historical sources documenting Scandinavian pilgrimages and Crusader activity in the Holy Land during the 12th–13th centuries, supports the hypothesis of Scandinavian presence or influence at Arsur. These objects, likely crafted from reused Byzantine marble, provide rare material evidence of cross-cultural interaction and mobility within the Crusader states. Their discovery enriches our understanding of the social and symbolic dimensions of textile tools and their role in expressing identity during the Crusader period.
Weis et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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