Clay spindles (Old Rus. Pryshlen) are household items. These are clay or stone weights with a through hole, which were put on the spindle to increase its rotation speed. The first spinners appeared simultaneously with the occurrence of spinning and weaving in the late Neolithic times. Initially they were made of clay and burned on fire. They had a varied shape, the weight was about 16 g. Often the spindling was decorated with a variety of ornaments. From the middle of the 11th century the local production of clay spindles practically ceased due to the wide distribution of imported slate products. Slate came from the only pink slate deposit in Eastern Europe near Ovruch in Volyn. Slate spinner among the items of import found by archeologists is in the first place. In total they found more than 800 copies. It is known that slate spindle from imported slate was also made on site. Splinter from Ovruch in the 11th-13th centuries were widely spread in Polotsk and were used even in the 14th century after the destruction of Ovruch workshops. According to the well-known archaeologist and numismatist V.L. Yanina in the "coinless period" the spindle can be used as a means of payment along with cowry shells and fur. In the exposition of the Museum of Local Lore you can see both a spindle from clay and slate. Stone spindle, found in Polotsk, pink, less often - blue, lilac shade. They were transferred to the museum after the archaeological excavations headed by G.V. Shtyhov and S.V. Tarasov.
