A Strange Find

[peterstone]

A couple of years ago I found 2 bits of stone in my garden which fit closely together and look as though they were made by someone at some time. Could be a mortar and pestle or a mould of some kind or I could be barking up the wrong tree entirely. They are small - about 15cm long by 10 cm wide and 4 thick. If you'd like to offer any suggestions about their purpose origin or whatever, you can see some pictures at http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/stone-images
I'm very interested in any comments
Peter

[Personica]

Not a Clue!

Very interesting pics though. could be a case for Tony Robinson & the Time Team?

[jean88]

Very interesting, it does look like some kind of tool. Have you checked for more? There could be more finds. It does look like a mortar and pestle. I have seen a similar one used in a documentary about africa, its for grinding up food. My granny used to have something similar, but its more like a bowl shape and the pestle is like a giant stone pebble, it was very old, been passed down generations.

Hope it helps.

[Octavius]

It looks to me like it could be some kind of hand quern, but it probably isn't.  You should take it to your local antiquities dept at the council, or local museum. 

[Octavius]

http://www.gallica.co.uk/celts/grinding.htm

[twiglet4frog]

i would ask a museum to help u out as they might be able to recognise straight away and might be a good exaple of something that is important to them

[Bob A Job]

I seem to remember seeing something similar being used to grind flour to make a type of flatbread cooked on a bonfire. apparently the romans introduced it into england and it caught on. 

[Cetti]

 What an exciting  find!  I don't have a clue either but it certainly looks like a crude device for grinding grains for flour. Please let us know when you find out for sure as I'm sure we'd all be interested.

[jno]

does look like some sort of pestle and mortar, but also looks as if they fit very tightly - if so, would there be room to move one around in the other? (Where would your fingers go?) Love to hear how this turns out peter.

[Shire]

Is there a Finds Liason Officer for your area?  They deal mainly with things found by metal detectorists, but will also look at items found by other members of the public.  Ask at your local museum for details of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which the Finds Liason Officers are part of.

[peterstone]

Thanks to all who responded, specially Octavius who led me to lots of sites about querns.
The Museum told me that this is a stone which has become coated with ironstone waste, probably in run off water from a mine. They are apparantly quite common in the northeast nad Weardale in particular because of old mines.
Thanks again
Peter

[jno]

naturally created, then? Facinating, never seen anything like that before. Good work peterstone