Whetstone
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Before the throw-away culture took hold, a wide range of everyday items ranging from penknives to to tools such as sickles would be sharpened using a grindstone small enough to be carried around, a whetstone. These have been in use since the Bronze Age, and were often traded over considerable distances, which makes identification easier because this sort of stone is not indigenous to Brislington. The flat surfaces are another key characteristic, which would be used to rub along the blade, with the abrasive stone scraping away a little metal with each stroke, until the edge was again thin and razor sharp.
Material: stone
Period: Post Medieval (or Medieval)
Find spot: Hampstead Road, Brislington, Bristol. ST 612710
Exhibit contributed by Ken Taylor
Text written by Ken Taylor, 2012
Photographer: Ken Taylor
Acquisition number: 120302a6