Description

Summary: 2 double ended slate whetstones with round ends, flat one side and convex on the other, found with a primary inhumation in bowl barrow Winterbourne Stoke G54, excavated by William Cunnington.

Research results

Two Bronze Age "sponge finger stones", excavated by William Cunnington with a primary inhumation in bowl barrow Winterbourne Stoke G54. Both stones are made from slate sourced from the Devonian killas, in Devon or Cornwall. These tools are thought to have used in leather working, with their smooth ends used for rubbing against the leather during the finishing process. It is not clear whether there is any significance to the stones being found in a pair.