Record ID: HAMP-A71CF4
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Whetstone fragment  of possible Roman-modern date. The whetstone is made of light reddish brown sandstone, is sub-rectantular in plan and has a rounded-rectangular section. The whetstone has been worn on all edges and the dorsal and ventral sides are both flat. The object's edges are  both deliberately worn and taper slightly. One of the edges has two flat narrow surfaces that meet at about a 30 degree angle, indicating use a sharpening tool. The unbroken end of the whetstone has been pecked and is relatively flat.  Similar to Maslin, S (2023)&nb…
Created on: Wednesday 1st February 2023
Last updated: Tuesday 23rd May 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SUR-3F8FCC
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone made from a hard and fine grained sandstone, 51.5mm in length, with a rounded rectangular cross section. The stone has been heavily used and tapers in thickness from 10.7mm at a slightly concave rear end to 7.7mm where it has broken at the mid point from heavy wear.
Created on: Tuesday 3rd January 2023
Last updated: Tuesday 3rd January 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: WILT-0171B1
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: MEDIEVAL
County: Wiltshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A complete but broken Medieval whetstone dating to c. AD 1050-1250. The whetstone is formed from a blue/grey micaceous schist, now in two pieces. It is sub-trapezoidal in plan with a flat top and tapering sides to a rounded tip. One side has a central groove approximately 5.0mm wide and 25.0mm long. The rounded tip shows evidence of fine sharpening with at least four striations around one side. A complete diagonal break occurs approximately one third of the way down. The size of the whetstone suggests it may have been a pendant, but there is no evidence for a s…
Created on: Wednesday 19th October 2022
Last updated: Thursday 26th January 2023
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NLM-4ABE9C
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Basalt whetstone, hole drilled though its middle, but drilled from both sides. Suggested date: Unknown, Roman to Early Medieval, 43-1000 Length: 57.4mm, Width: 12.1mm, Thickness: 10.1mm, Weight: 10.74gms
Created on: Tuesday 23rd August 2022
Last updated: Tuesday 23rd August 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-E85497
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Rotherham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A possible worn piece of a quartz and mica rich sandstone whetstone of probable Post Medieval to Modern date, about AD 1700 - 1900. The stone is rounded at both ends and is oval in section. There are worn facets along the sides.The regular shape of this stone suggests that it is part of a manufactured hone or scythe stone. When in use, a scythe would have needed sharpening every 15 minutes or so, so hones were vital pieces of equipment for every farm worker.  Measurements are; length 88.8mm, width 33.5mm, thickness 19.5mm and weight 84.17g.
Created on: Monday 25th July 2022
Last updated: Wednesday 10th August 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: HAMP-208B83
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Hampshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone, 50mm in length made from a hard micaceous schist and of suspected Iron Age or Roman date. The remaining portion is subrectangular, with a rounded terminal and an oval cross section. The edges have flat facets along the sides. There is damage to one corner of the end and the object has broken across the middle.
Created on: Thursday 9th June 2022
Last updated: Friday 10th June 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: KENT-BE0E75
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Kent
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Complete sandstone whetstone. Description Fine-grained compacted sandstone whetstone. A short bar hone of originally rectangular section, all four sides of the central section are now slightly concave through heavy wear. The flat ends suggest that the object is complete. Objects of this type have a broad date range from Roman to the post medieval. Dimensions Length: 99mm, width: 47mm, thickness: 23mm, weight: 199g .
Created on: Friday 29th April 2022
Last updated: Thursday 8th September 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NARC-DA7135
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Northamptonshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete Whetstone of Bronze Age to Modern date (1000 BC- AD 1800). The object is composed of a fine-grained micaceous grey stone.  The object is sub-rectangular in plan and slightly convex in section/ The left- and right-hand edges have slight bevelling, there is a transverse break to one end, the opposing end is rounded. There are shallow notches/grooves in one of the flat surfaces, which are indicative of its use as a whetstone. Length: 48.19mm, Width: 30.87mm, Thickness: 11.74mm, Weight: 34.5g Jones and Taylor (2010) illustrate similar sandstone and …
Created on: Wednesday 6th April 2022
Last updated: Friday 12th August 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NLM-71316D
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: ROMAN
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Fine-grained stone whetstone fragment; uncleaned, so material remains uncertain. One end of a rectangular section hone with all four sides dished by wear, in two opposed faces very heavily so. One proximal corner is rubbed or worn, broken across the other end. The improvised use of sharpening stones is especially typical of the Roman and Early Medieval periods; the former dating may be suggested here by accompanying finds. Suggested date: Roman, 43-410 Length: 37.9mm, Width: 29.1mm, Thickness: 21.6mm, Weight: 34.07gms
Created on: Tuesday 8th March 2022
Last updated: Tuesday 8th March 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'near Market Rasen', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: NLM-60F3A4
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Fine-grained dense compact reddish-tinted Sandstone whetstone fragment, as kindly suggested by the finder. A sub-rectangular fragment of stone with two or three angled smoothed surfaces, rougher below where it has split along natural bedding planes, probably after its deposition, and broken at one end. The improvised use of hone stones is especially characteristic of the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods; these might come from Glacial Drift, and in this case the stone is not local. Suggested date: Unknown, Roman to Early Medieval, 43-850 Length: 81mm, Width: 44.3mm, Thickness: 21.5mm…
Created on: Monday 7th March 2022
Last updated: Monday 7th March 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'near Market Rasen', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: DEV-8F8C21
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Devon
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A whetstone formed from a sedimentary rock, possibly greywacke, of unknown age, dating to c. 1500 BC -AD 1900. The whetstone is trapezoidal in shape and rectangular in section. It has a deep area of wear where it has been used for sharpening tools, which is discoloured and dark compared to the surrounding mid grey coloured stone. The wear has created a ridge where the objects being sharpened were brought backwards along the wear surface. While a medieval to post medieval date is posited, examples from Cornwall recorded with the PAS (e.g. CORN-0EE8C3) have been found in con…
Created on: Tuesday 1st February 2022
Last updated: Friday 11th February 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: LIN-046199
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Nottinghamshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete conical whetstone of probable post-medieval date c.AD 1600-1800. The whetstone is made from a quartz-rich, fine-grained sandstone, is sub-circular in cross-section, tapering along its length and probably lathe-turned. It is broken at both ends. Length 115.13 mm: Maximum diameter 37.08 mm: Minimum diameter 21.64 mm: Weight 163.76g
Created on: Thursday 13th January 2022
Last updated: Monday 17th January 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NARC-D8B00C
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Northamptonshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete whetstone of Bronze Age to Modern date (1000 BC- AD 1800). The object is composed of a fine-grained micaceous grey stone. The object is sub-rectangular in plan and slightly convex in section/ The left- and right-hand edges have slight bevelling, there is a transverse break to one end, the opposing end is rounded. In the centre of, and flanking the rounded end are notches/grooves. These are indicative of its use as a whetstone. Length: 28.99mm, Width: 35.20mm, Thickness: 8.09mm, Weight: 34.5g Jones and Taylor (2010) illustrate similar sandstone and siltstone wh…
Created on: Tuesday 11th January 2022
Last updated: Thursday 20th January 2022
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NLM-D7B7D0
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: North East Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
Fine-grained Sandstone possible whetstone fragment, as kindly identified by the finder. A fragment from the tapering end of a cobble whose sub-triangular section may initially have been defined by natural erosion by wind-blown sand or water. These smooth faces, however, appear to have been further smoothed by use as a sharpening stone, resulting in the formation of a shallow concavity or dishing on one of the sides. The improvised use of erratic pebbles as sharpening stones was common from later Prehistory, through the Roman period, and into the Early Medieval period. Suggested date: …
Created on: Tuesday 11th January 2022
Last updated: Wednesday 12th January 2022
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Laceby', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: LVPL-9334B0
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Wirral
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A complete whetstone of uncertain date. The object is oval and made of a dark brown / red stone, rich in mica, posibly a local sandstone. The surface is marked with distinctive lines, indicative of its use as a whetstone. One face is roughly flat and is inscribed with a triangle the covers the whole width of the stone. The dating of whetstones is difficult as they were used from the Bronze Age to modern times. Dimensions: Length 91.95mm; width 40.91mm; thickess 29.4mm; weight 150.3g
Created on: Monday 8th November 2021
Last updated: Monday 8th November 2021
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'Clatterbridge', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: SWYOR-922647
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: UNKNOWN
County: Rotherham
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete stone probable Whetstone of Bronze Age to Post-Medieval date (1000 BC - AD 1800). It is formed of very fine grained, smooth, light grey stone, with visible strata including what appear to be bands of quartz. It is sub-rectangular in plan, wider at one end than the other, and is D shaped, or perhaps sub-pentagonal in cross-section. There are deliberately cut side facets and both ends have cut straight surfaces, with some wear or faceting. The stone has broken in places, especially the narrow end and on the upper curved face, leaving an uneven surface, but the other surfac…
Created on: Monday 8th November 2021
Last updated: Friday 26th November 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: SWYOR-131B72
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: North Yorkshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A piece of a quartz and mica rich sandstone whetstone of probable Post Medieval to Modern date, about AD 1700 - 1900. The stone is broken at both ends and is rectangular in section. It tapers and the two main faces are flat. The regular shape of this stone suggests that it is part of a manufactured hone or scythe stone. When in use, a scythe would have needed sharpening every 15 minutes or so, so hones were vital pieces of equipment for every farm worker. This example does not appear to have been used very much before it was lost, and the faces are not concave. It is 50.4mm long, 28.6…
Created on: Wednesday 9th June 2021
Last updated: Friday 25th June 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: NARC-94B8CB
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: BRONZE AGE
County: Buckinghamshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
An incomplete possible Whetstone of Uncertain date (AD 800 BC – AD 850). The object is composed of a compacted sandstone water rolled cobble; there is some indication of the presence of mica or other abrasive constituents in a sandy matrix. The object is sub-triangular with slightly convex sides. There is a recent removal scar at one end, at the opposing end of the same side is a circular concave depression. Length: 127.70mm, Width: 74.59mm, Thickness: 37.43mm, Weight: 402.2g Similar examples can be seen on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database: BM-CFB553, SOM-A830D0 a…
Created on: Monday 10th May 2021
Last updated: Friday 4th June 2021
Spatial data recorded.

Record ID: PUBLIC-EA5BFF
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Lincolnshire
Workflow stage: Awaiting validation
A fragment of a conical whetstone of probable post-medieval date. Description: The whetstone is made from a quartz-rich, fine-grained sandstone, is sub-circular in section, tapering along its length and probably lathe-turned. It is broken at both ends. Measurements: Length 52.23mm: Maximum diameter 37.19mm: Minimum diameter 32.80mm: Weight 100.49g Discussion: These type of whetstones were often used on a spindle, but this does not appear to be the case with this example as there are numerous flat spots along its length from being drawn lengthways across a blade. Sugges…
Created on: Thursday 8th April 2021
Last updated: Thursday 8th April 2021
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'South Somercotes', grid reference and parish protected.

Record ID: LANCUM-DA60B2
Object type: WHETSTONE
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
County: Lancashire
Workflow stage: Published
Roman to Modern cigar shaped whetstone. The finder's partner is a qualified geologist and says the sharpening stone is made from a "Fine to medium grained, quartz cemented sandstone, probably local millstone grit but its source location in the Bowland stratigraphic sequence is not known. The visible striations are not natural." Falttened areas or facets are typical of stones that have been well used. The tapered elongated cylindrical shape is typical of those used for sharpening scythes and sickles. Similar stones in modern materials are still in production (see attached image). Sickl…
Created on: Wednesday 7th April 2021
Last updated: Tuesday 16th November 2021
Spatial data recorded. This findspot is known as 'near Garstang', grid reference and parish protected.