Querns in context

This article examines the reuse of quernstones in a multi-phase Iron-Age settlement (2nd century BCE–4th century CE). Such finds are typically regarded as either accidentally abandoned or repurposed as convenient building material, but this study challenges that view. Contextual analysis of hundreds of recovered querns reveals patterned reuse, with practices shifting over time: from discrete placements in pits, to integration into key architectural features, to the sealing of a household with burnt and broken rotary querns. These patterns indicate that quernstones were perceived as active participants in social life, valued for properties extending well beyond their grinding function. Viewing these relationships through a contextual lens over centuries highlights the enduring cultural and social significance of these objects, a significance often overlooked in archaeological interpretation.