Loom weights are a very common find in ancient archaeology. If they are unmarked (like this one) they are very difficult to accurately date. However, loom weights in Greece were first seen in the Neolithic Period (Early Neolithic II in Crete (ca. 4400-3700 BCE) and Middle Neolithic II in Franchthi Cave on mainland Greece (ca. 5000-4500 BCE). The characteristic red of this warp weight suggests that it was made of Attic clay and might have been fired in Attic Greece. The conical pyramid shape of this warp weight is very similar to images of Late Helladic III (1400-1060 BCE) warp weights recently excavated from the citadel on mainland Mycenae. Loom weights were used to provide tension on spun fibers that were being woven. The warp threads hung vertically and were weighed down by the warp weights, and horizontal weft threads were woven between the warp threads. There is a hole drilled horizontally through the top of the warp weight through which a string would be strung to tie to the warp threads. Small holes drilled into the bottom of the warp weight suggest that the user might have tried to lighten the warp weight, or perhaps the holes are there to provide an anchor for decorations. The holes are too small to be to make firing easier. The location of the cracks and flaked-off slip on this loom weight suggest it was used next to other loom weights often. The earliest loom was likely the horizontal ground loom invented in Mesopotamia in the Neolithic (ca. 6000 BCE) which evolved into the upright warp-weighted loom in Europe. -Avedan Raggio