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Description: | A shaped piece of puddingstone which has been deliberatley formed and used as a tool in prehistory. The exact date and function of these artefacts - a very similar example of which is recorded on the PAS database (see BH-416BD3) - is uncertain. The most likely explanation is that they are grain rubbers, used in conjunction with a saddle quern; alternatively (although perhaps less likely, given the form) is that they are hammerstones, employed in the production of flint tools. The quarrying and use of Hertfordshire puddingstone as querns is discussed by B. Lovell and J. Tubb in their article "Ancient quarrying of rare in-situ Palaeogene Hertfordshire Puddingstone" (Mercian Geologist 2006, no. 16 (3)).
The object takes the form of a flattened sphere. The outer edges are heavily pitted from the shaping process. The upper surface is roughly flattened, with a slight ridge at one point, and has clearly not seen further re-working or a significant amount of use as a tool. In contrast, the underside has a smaller, but more regular, flattend face, seemingly the result of wear.
The object measures 65mm in diameter, 44.7mm high and weighs 225.19g. | Subjects: | Grain rubber or hammerstone | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Creator: | Watters, Julian - Portable Antiquities Scheme | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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