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Bullaun stones?

  • 11-08-2014 6:10pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    I have two granite stones with curious depressions on them. The first is about 60cm long by 30cm on each of four sides. Each of the four sides has a depression in it, ovoid(?) in shape. I found it in a damaged sandstone boundary wall at my parents home and rescued it from being removed. It was the only granite in the wall. It's fair to say I have been very curious about this stone for a number of years as I noticed it when it was in the wall and realised it had the dimples on the other faces- when the wall suffered a partial collapse I decided to keep it in case it got lost.
    [IMG][/img]DSC_0095_zpsed63e7a1.jpg

    DSC_0094_zps95c54240.jpg

    The second stone is smaller (maybe 40cm long). I found it in in a recently ploughed field about 500 m from the first one. It has a series of small depressions (about 5cms in diameter). The reverse side is completely flat (not sure if this is natural or manmade):
    DSC_0097_zps7fcd13ff.jpg
    DSC_0099_zpsc76c7e5d.jpg

    Anyone got ideas? They seem like small (portable?) bullauns, but of course, I have no context or other clues to dating or function. I would really appreciate any ideas.
    Thanks


Comments

  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,218 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    Very interesting indeed. These are definitely manmade and the fact that they are granite adds to the interest.
    Do you know how far away the nearest granite source might be?
    The ovoid nature of the depressions is not uncommon, difficult to comprehend in relation to grinding, but common enough nonetheless.
    Depressions like these are sometimes associated with primary stone splitting. In this case, the patterns are inconsistent with stone splitting, so clearly something else is going on. Portable bullauns are a possibility but don't assume this just yet.
    Whatever they are, they don't 'feel' as if they are the finished article.
    As to a date - could be neolithic, could be later medieval. They need to be looked at closely.


  • Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭baaba maal


    Thanks Slowburner- there is no visible granite in the area (near Rathcoole in Dublin) but I did read a reference to a granite outlier in the area that was quarried away in the 1800s.

    Very interesting response- I would agree that it it is difficult to see how the depressions could have been used for grinding given their shape, but how else might they have been used for? There is one other distinctive working of the stone- it appears to be later and looks somewhat like a gate "spud" where the bottom of a gate might sit as a hinge to swing on (or it could be anything else, it just looks like that to me!):

    [IMG][/img]DSC_0096_zps99da049c.jpg

    If you know of somebody with expertise in such stonework who would look at them please pm me as I would be happy to bring them somewhere for examination (I'm in north Kildare) and could put them in the car.

    Thanks


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,218 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    baaba maal wrote: »
    Thanks Slowburner- there is no visible granite in the area (near Rathcoole in Dublin) but I did read a reference to a granite outlier in the area that was quarried away in the 1800s.

    Very interesting response- I would agree that it it is difficult to see how the depressions could have been used for grinding given their shape, but how else might they have been used for? There is one other distinctive working of the stone- it appears to be later and looks somewhat like a gate "spud" where the bottom of a gate might sit as a hinge to swing on (or it could be anything else, it just looks like that to me!):

    [IMG][/img]DSC_0096_zps99da049c.jpg

    If you know of somebody with expertise in such stonework who would look at them please pm me as I would be happy to bring them somewhere for examination (I'm in north Kildare) and could put them in the car.

    Thanks

    Sincere apologies. This slipped my mind altogether. I'll run it past a couple of people.
    Edit:
    The view in the fourth photo gives the impression that this could very well be a saddle quern. It's also possible that the indentations are remains of a spud and that a saddle quern was reused as a spud stone. They could also be cupmarks. Difficult to say without seeing them in person but the photos are excellent.


  • Registered Users Posts: 772 ✭✭✭baaba maal


    slowburner wrote: »
    Sincere apologies. This slipped my mind altogether. I'll run it past a couple of people.
    Edit:
    The view in the fourth photo gives the impression that this could very well be a saddle quern. It's also possible that the indentations are remains of a spud and that a saddle quern was reused as a spud stone. They could also be cupmarks. Difficult to say without seeing them in person but the photos are excellent.
    thanks Slowburner-any other opinions sought would be appreciated. If they are of enough interest I would be happy to bring them to some odyssey. The thought that one might be a saddle quern is very exciting!


  • Registered Users Posts: 454 ✭✭MikeSoys


    hi just enquiring if someone can point me in the right direction?. ive being seeing allot of 'spud stones' (stones some large others small with what looks like manmade hollows in them(nearly perfectly round and perfectly shaped)) ..i understand they were created to be used for the base of gates ...around some fields i have...
    im looking for info about how old they could be, when were spud stones made generally...could there be really old or 1950s or sooner... many thanks


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 5,218 Mod ✭✭✭✭slowburner


    MikeSoys wrote: »
    hi just enquiring if someone can point me in the right direction?. ive being seeing allot of 'spud stones' (stones some large others small with what looks like manmade hollows in them(nearly perfectly round and perfectly shaped)) ..i understand they were created to be used for the base of gates ...around some fields i have...
    im looking for info about how old they could be, when were spud stones made generally...could there be really old or 1950s or sooner... many thanks

    Spud stones were in use from at least the 11th century right up to living memory.


  • Registered Users Posts: 454 ✭✭MikeSoys


    slowburner wrote: »
    Spud stones were in use from at least the 11th century right up to living memory.
    okay thanks


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