Record ID: PUBLIC-054FC4
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of whetstone of unknown date. The object is made from a fine-grained, quartz-rich sandstone, is sub-square in section, slightly tapering and broken across both ends. There is also some post-depositional damage. Dating of whetstones is difficult as they were used from the later Iron Age to modern times. The location and associated finds suggest an early-medieval to early post-medieval date. The object is 64.7mm in length and 38.74 x 36.83, tapering to 34.19mm x 33.14mm, in width. It weighs 147g.
Created on: Friday 13th October 2017
Last updated: Monday 16th October 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Skidbrooke', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: YORYM-4C1CF5
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Incomplete stone whetstone of unknown date (c. 800 BC - 1900 AD). The whetstone is sub-rectangular in plan with a D-shaped section as it is flat on the bottom and rounded on the top. The whetstone has been broken at one end leaving a rough surface. The bottom surface is also rough while the top surface is relatively smooth on two sides and slightly pitted on the other. The stone is dark brown in colour with light brown patches. The length of the whetstone is 36.99mm with a width of 19.07mm and a thickness of 14.78mm. The weight of the whetstone is 19.96g. Whetstones are difficult…
Created on: Wednesday 4th October 2017
Last updated: Wednesday 25th October 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PUBLIC-0A4260
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone of probable early-medieval date (c. AD 800 - 1100). The whetstone is formed from a very fine-grained, sedimentary, mica-rich stone with distinct bedding planes. It is sub-rectangular in plan with tapering sides and is sub-rectangular in cross section at one end and sub-square in section at the other. Both ends are broken, probably in antiquity. Two opposing sides are flat but the other two opposing sides are dished, one more than the other, from continued use sharpening blades. All faces are very smooth. The stone is similar to other mica schist whetstones foun…
Created on: Sunday 1st October 2017
Last updated: Saturday 7th October 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Skidbrooke', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PUBLIC-E9CADE
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone of probable early-medieval date (c. AD 800 - 1100). The whetstone is formed from a very fine-grained, sedimentary, mica-rich stone. It is sub-rectangular in plan with slightly tapering sides, and is sub-rectangular in cross section. A suspension hole has been drilled in the upper part of the whetstone by drilling from both sides to produce an hourglass-shaped hole, 4.9mm in diameter. The opposite end is broken, probably in antiquity. The stone is similar to other mica schist whetstones found at the same location but is of a finer structure, maybe chosen for a s…
Created on: Friday 29th September 2017
Last updated: Friday 6th October 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Skidbrooke', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: WAW-FE9176
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Warwickshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A sandstone whetstone of uncertain date, possibly Roman. It is sub-rectangular in plan and section. The whetstone has four, possibly five grinding surfaces which are saddle-like; it has sustained plough damage which has given it two uneven sides. It is a light to mid-brown medium to coarse sandstone. It measures 98.32mm in length, 60.82mm wide and weighs 648.9grams.
Created on: Monday 18th September 2017
Last updated: Monday 10th September 2018
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PUBLIC-BD3717
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of whetstone or hone of probable early-medieval to medieval date (AD 700-1500). The whetstone has been manufactured from very fine-grained, blue-grey stone. It is a pointed oval in plan and sub-triangular in section. it is broken at both ends. The outer surfaces are very smooth with flat facets, probably as a result of the blade-sharpening process.
Created on: Friday 15th September 2017
Last updated: Monday 18th September 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Skidbrooke', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PUBLIC-AD7E16
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a fine-grained, sandstone whetstone of uncertain date. The object is sub-rectangular in section and sub-rectangular in plan, broken across both ends. The sides are slightly dished and all surfaces are worn smooth. The location and associated finds suggest an early-medieval to medieval date.
Created on: Thursday 14th September 2017
Last updated: Monday 18th September 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Skidbrooke', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PUBLIC-AD162C
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of whetstone or hone of probable Roman date. The whetstone has been manufactured from very fine-grained, blue-grey mudstone, similar to the Jurassic rocks found on the coast of North Yorkshire. It is sub-rectagular in plan and section. It is broken down its length from being struck and shearing down a natural bedding plane. The damage, however, shows the very fine internal structure of the stone. The outer surfaces are very smooth with flat facets, probably as a result of the blade-sharpening process. There are various cut marks with triangular-shaped sections that suggest …
Created on: Thursday 14th September 2017
Last updated: Monday 18th September 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Fulstow', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: PUBLIC-30CABC
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a whetstone of unknown date. It is made from a very fine-grained, banded sedementary rock with a high inclusion of mica crystals. The object is sub-square in section and a tapering rectangle in plan, broken across the wider end. Dating of whetstones is difficult as they were used from the later Iron Age to modern times. The location and associated finds suggest an early-medieval to medieval date. The object is 89.76mm in length and 31.1mm in width. It weighs 218g.
Created on: Friday 8th September 2017
Last updated: Monday 11th September 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Skidbrooke', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NLM-FEC0CD
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North East Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Compacted Sandstone water rolled cobble, probable whetstone; a sparkling surface indicates the presence of mica or other abrasive constituents in a sandy matrix, and hence suitability as a sharpening stone. This large sub-triangular flat-sided stone has one large flat surface smoothed and dished by wear. Other surfaces are unmodified, though scratches from plough strike appear on all. The use of improvised hones is characteristic of a long period from later Prehistory to the Viking Age. A rock of this size might be used to sharpen large tools such as a scythe or spade iron. It may hav…
Created on: Wednesday 6th September 2017
Last updated: Monday 30th July 2018
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'East Ravendale', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NLM-804A3E
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North East Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Grey-green fine grained compact Sandstone, possible whetstone fragment, as kindly suggested by the finder. A small and probably water-rolled pebble of sub-rectangular section, possibly dished by wear on one of its wider flat faces, but with no other trace of utilisation. Rounded, probably naturally, at one end, and broken at the other; subsequently abraded. This may be a small or personal hone improvised from a chance discovery from glacial Drift. The use of varied improvised hones, rubbing stones and smoothers was common from later Prehistory to the Middle Saxon period. Suggested dat…
Created on: Thursday 31st August 2017
Last updated: Thursday 31st August 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Laceby', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NLM-800F98
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North East Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Fine-grained compact grey possibly Sandstone with occasional sparkling flecks on its sides; whetstone, as kindly identified by the finder. The material has a superficial resemblance to the volcanic Greenstone used to make Neolithic group 6 axes, and specialist examination of the broken surface might determine whether such an axe may have been reworked and reused in this case. At all events, this is now a straight-sided bar-shaped hone of rectangular section, rounded at one end and broken at the other. All flat surfaces are lightly dished by wear towards the centre of the object; a fac…
Created on: Thursday 31st August 2017
Last updated: Thursday 31st August 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Laceby', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: DEV-6E49A1
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Devon
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone of uncertain date and of a fine, greywacke sandstone. Rectangular in plan and sub-rectangualr in profile, the fragment terminates in worn breaks at either end. Due to abrasion to either face of the stone, in profile the whetstone tapers from 19.3mm wide at one end to 13.7mm at the other, with the narrowing being pronouncedly concave at one end and becoming more gradual below. This is more prominent on one face than the other. Dimensions: length 50.5mm; width 21.8mm; thickness 19.3mm; weight 29.03g. Whetstones were in use from the Bronze Age onwards, and w…
Created on: Wednesday 30th August 2017
Last updated: Wednesday 30th August 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: DUR-424732
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: County Durham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fine-grained, dark grey stone, oval-ended and broken at one end, of uncertain date. It has been used as a whetstone for sharpening blades. The stone is natural, not deliberately shaped, oval in section, thickening and widening to the broken end. The complete end is rounded. The top of the whetstone shows signs of brown 'polish' and has numerous shallow, linear grooves in the surface. The back is concave and rougher; it shows a couple of diagonal grooves but these may be natural wear. Whetstones are known to have been used from the Bronze Age onwards. The improvised use of vari…
Created on: Wednesday 16th August 2017
Last updated: Monday 11th September 2017
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NMS-1CB016
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Incomplete Early Saxon to Middle Saxon strike-a-light or hone of grey, micaceous sandstone, one end missing, sub-rectangular in cross-section with a carefully made and straight,10mm-deep V-sectioned groove running along the sides and around the extant rounded end near which a 5mm-diameter hole has been drilled through the full thickness. The object widens from the end to the probably ancient break. Much of the surface is smooth, but where this "patination" has been lost it is slightly more rough. An oblique V-sectioned ?sharpening groove cuts into one side and ends at the enc…
Created on: Friday 21st July 2017
Last updated: Friday 27th January 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: HAMP-E2B784
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete fine-grained micaceous stone whetstone or hone. It is sub-rectangular in shape with (worn) breaks at both short ends, revealing a D-shaped cross-section. It narrows from 20.1x14.8mm at one break to 14.6x11.6mm at the other, over a length of 76.3mm. The stone is grey to the flat underside but otherwise brown in colour with lines of silvery inclusions running through it. These appear as dark grey longitudinal striations on the brown surface. The stone is soapy to the touch. The object weighs 41.20g. Whetstones or hones of this type were often perforated in order to susp…
Created on: Tuesday 18th July 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 18th July 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Bishops Waltham', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: LIN-3AA67E
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetsone of possible early Anglo-Saxon date. The item is made from a reddish-brown coloured sandstone which 'sparkles' when held under light owing to fine grained quartz. The whetstone is square in section, broken at both ends, and tapers from bottom to top, from 32mm x 31mm to 22mm x 21mm.
Created on: Wednesday 28th June 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 19th September 2017
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Alford area', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: WILT-38BCE2
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Wiltshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete sarsen Iron Age or Roman saddle quern or grinding stone, subsequently used as a polishing stone or whetstone. The object is 240 mm long and 110 mm at its widest point. It is slightly curved and 88 mm thick at its deepest point. Two of the surfaces, abutting each other, are smooth and have been used as a whetstone; each displays a single groove a few millimetres wide. One of the grooves is 130 mm long and the other is 148 mm long. The other two surfaces show the usual rougher surface of the natural stone. Ruth Shaffrey comments: Quern reuse is very common. In fact, mos…
Created on: Wednesday 28th June 2017
Last updated: Wednesday 17th January 2018
Spatial data recorded.

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Record ID: NMS-0F82DA
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Norfolk
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Whetstone of sub ovoid to sub trapezoidal section with rounded edges, all faces are polished smooth and blackened from use, except for recent damage which reveals the light grey original colour of the fine grained micaceous schist. As both ends are broken and damaged in antiquity, it is uncertain if this implement was perforated for suspension. Romano-British to Medieval.
Created on: Monday 26th June 2017
Last updated: Sunday 12th July 2020
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NLM-7FA566
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: EARLY MEDIEVAL
County: North Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Lead and stone whetstone fragment. The broken end of a fine-grained grey layered stone, possibly a slate but resembling a 'phyllite', with a neatly-cut square section groove around its narrower end, and another at right angles to this on either side. The broken end of the hone has been sheathed in lead, which has held its parts together. The hone may have broken across the site of an original suspension hole. There is a probably drilled transverse hole in the end of the lead sheathing which would replace it. This is an unusual example of the repair of a personal hone so it could be co…
Created on: Friday 26th May 2017
Last updated: Tuesday 30th May 2017
Spatial data recorded.