Characterisation and distribution of beehive querns in eastern Europe

Abstract

The lithological and typological analysis of early rotary querns (`beehive' querns) in eastern England has demonstrated that, despite the wide geographical area covered, relatively few rock types (and hence production areas) are represented, and that there is, in general, a close relationship between lithology and quern design. For a few rock types macroscopic examination is sufficient to enable a source rock to be suggested, but for others thin-section petrological analysis is necessary to distinguish between a number of outcrops of similar lithological character. The main sources for the area considered are Millstone Grit, Spilsby Sandstone (Lower Cretaceous), Folkestone Beds, and Hythe Beds, and the region lies at the eastern limit for the distribution of Old Red Sandstone at this date. The existing typological classification requires revision to accommodate a number of forms encountered during this research which have been assigned names to fit in with the existing terminology. The results contribute another aspect to the economy of this period and have demonstrated that, from their introduction in the Middle Iron Age, the production of rotary querns was highly organised but also operated on several levels. A small number of quarry sites produced a high proportion of querns that were subsequently transported large distances, others had a smaller output and more local distribution.

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