Serçe Limani: An Eleventh-Century Shipwreck Vol. 1, The Ship and Its Anchorage, Crew, and Passengers

14. The Querns

   Two complete rotary querns were found on the wreck (Figs. - and -). Each quern consists of two disk-shaped stones. In use, one stone lay flat on the ground and the other was placed upon it. The upper stone was held by a central spindle and was turned with a vertical wooden handle to grind the grain between the two stones.1 In the following catalog some special terms are employed (Fig. -). The dorsal surface is that part of the quern that is not the grinding surface; it is synonymous with the “top” of the upper stone or “bottom” of the lower stone. The ventral surface is the grinding surface. The eye is the central perforation through which passes a spindle or axle to hold the stones in place during use. The rynd is a wooden or metal bar let into the surface, either ventral or dorsal, at the eye of the upper stone. The rynd is pierced to allow the axle to pass through, but it is smaller in width than the eye. Thus it holds the upper stone suspended on its axle slightly above the lower stone, allowing the grain to go past it through the eye into the space between the stones where it is ground. Furrows are grooves pecked or cut into the ventral surface of the quern that facilitate the shearing of the outer husks of the grain. Quern Catalog Q a. Quern, upper stone. Inv. No. GW . Fig. -. M LR. Diam. .-.; th. .-.; wgt.  kg. Intact. Dorsal chapter 14 The Querns Curtis Runnels Illustrated by Priscilla Murray surface has some slight marine damage. Stone is a grayish white, silicified rhyolitic tuff. Disk-shaped in plan, the profile of the rim is straight. The section is concavo-convex. It is perforated by an oval eye (diam. .–.) for the spindle. The dorsal surface has a raised collar around the eye connected to  raised ridges that run to the outer edge and form a rectangular socket (l. .; w. .; depth .). The overall shape of this socket and collar resembles a keyhole (l. .; w. .). The ventral surface is plain. The profile is slightly convex. The eye in the ventral surface is let into the center of a rectangular cutting for the rynd (l. .; w. .; depth .). Traces of manufacture in the form of parallel grooves left by a pointed metal tool are visible on the dorsal surface. Both surfaces are carefully worked and fairly even and smooth. The ventral surface shows traces of moderate wear as patches of smooth stone formed when the stones touched in grinding. There are possible traces of straight, or spiral, furrows visible at the outer edge of the ventral surface. Q b. Quern, lower stone. Inv. No. GW . Fig. -. M center. D. .–.; th. .–.; wgt. c.  kg. Intact. Ventral surface has some slight marine damage. The stone is grayish white, silicified rhyolitic tuff. Disk-shaped in plan, the profile of the rim is straight. #   ,  ,    The section is plano-convex. It is pierced by an eye . in diameter. As on the upper stone, there are traces of manufacture in the form of parallel grooves visible on the dorsal surface, but the surface was left in a rough, unfinished state. The ventral surface is plain and also shows patches of use wear. Q a. Quern, upper stone. Inv. No. GW . Fig. -. M LL/. D. .–.; th. .; wgt. c.  kg. Intact. The ventral surface has extensive marine damage and is not well preserved. The stone is grayish white, silicified rhyolitic tuff. Shape is that of a flat disk. The profile at the edge is convex. It is perforated by a small eye . in diameter. The dorsal surface has a raised collar around the eye connected to  raised ridges that run to the outer edge and form a rectangular socket (l. .; w. .; depth .). The socket and the collar are roughly in the shape of a keyhole, but are crudely made and very irregular. The overall dimensions of the socket are l. . and w. .. No traces of manufacture or of use are visible on the ventral surface. The rectangular cutting for the rynd on the ventral surface can be discerned, though it is too damaged to be measured. Fig. -. The querns Fig. -. Terminology of querns    Q b. Quern, lower stone. Inv. No. GW . Fig. -. K UR/LR. D. .; th. .–.; wgt. c.  kg. Intact. The dorsal surface has extensive marine damage. The ventral surface has a deposit of iron remaining from contact with...