Chalk weight, from Tresness, Sanday, Orkney

**Chalk weight, from Tresness, Sanday, OM.2018.55.2** This fishing net or basket weight was found after a storm, and is in the collections at The Orkney Museum, see http://bit.ly/2HrKfjp It’s made from chalk, found in the local till of boulders, rocks and beach pebbles; rocks eroded from deposits outside Orkney. This type of weight was common in medieval times, but similar examples can be dated to other periods too. The suspension hole has been drilled from both sides creating an hour-glass profile. Its dimensions are: Base: 54 x 38mm. Height: 61mm. It was found with this spindle whorl http://bit.ly/2CqSNTA Find out more about where they were found at http://bit.ly/2Oe3Yny This is part of the “New Connections” Virtual Museum, funded by Museums Galleries Scotland and the Hugh Fraser Foundation, see irc.hw.ac.uk/new-connections.html