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QUERN
Unique ID: BH-85B741
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation 
Two adjoining fragments of a circular rotary quernstone from a small hand-mill.
The two pieces represent approximately one quarter of the original stone. At the centre is a portion of the central spindle hole. The upper surface is flat and bears some concentric grooves from the milling process. Part of the curved outer edge survives. The stone employed is a coarse-grained gritstone of uncertain origin. The piece measures 140mm wide, indicating an original diameter of approximately 300mm. It measures up to 175mm long, 50mm thick and weighs 1.495kg.
Small rotary querns are a reasonably common find from the Roman period. For a complete stone of similar form and material, see BH-232966. There is little information about querns from the Early-Medieval period. In the Medieval and post-Medieval periods the hand-operated quern was largely superseded by windmills and water-powered mills, which used much larger stones.
Class: Rotary
Subsequent actions
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Chronology
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 1
Date to: Circa AD 410
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Length: 175 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 50 mm
Weight: 1495.1 g
Discovery dates
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 6th March 2010
Personal details
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Other reference numbers
Other reference: Ver 10/38 - 141
Materials and construction
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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