Quern (2 of 8)

Querns are stone handmills used mostly for grinding cereals. This picture shows the side of the upper stone of a rotary quern found at the site of the Roman fort at Newstead in Roxburghshire. It was used sometime between 80 and 180 AD.

The side of the upper stone is decorated with chiselled lines. The iron handle which protrudes from the side is visible at the bottom of the picture.

Stones used for querns were carefully chosen and sometimes imported over large distances. A hard stone was necessary, since the action of grinding wore down the stone. The Romans imported their stones from the Rhineland.

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