According to Alexandru Magdearu's article "A Stick with
Dove Head found at Halmyris", these items are likely a
distaff for spinning.
During
Roman times distaffs and hairpins were found with busts of the goddess
Venus or with the
dove, her sacred bird. However, after the rise of Christianity the use of the
Venus bust ceased while the use of the
dove remained, as it was not only the old symbol of
Venus but also the
Christian dove of
peace.
These sticks are found throughout Europe but mainly in SE Europe. They generally date from the 4th-6th c AD.
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