What did people do with so many whetstones 1,300 years ago? The two light grey stones were found in Eidsborg in Telemark, while the darkest ones are from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag.Photo: Irene Baug
Posted on 09/25/2022 6:47:17 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Whetstones are one of the most common finds from the Viking Age. What looks like a simple stone however, tells the tale of extensive trading systems - and perhaps even the reason for why the Vikings started raiding overseas.
At the end of the 19th century, people emptied the water out of an old quarry in Trøndelag in mid-Norway. Some thought that it might contain a large silver deposit.
But the only thing they found were lots of stones. A totally commonplace object...
The ordinary stones were whetstones, also known as sharpening stones. They were used to, as the latter name suggests, sharpen things made of iron...
Farmers needed them for their tools, and they were used in the household. They were also used in craft activities in the cities.
Whetstones were also an important part of the equipment needed by a warrior: Viking warriors needed to sharpen their swords, axes, arrows and knives.
Unlike many of the items we have from the Viking Age – whetstones were used by everybody, warriors, craftsmen and housewives, rich and poor alike.
As early as the Viking Age, they were mass-produced and distributed over great distances. Whetstones from Norway have been found in a number of countries...
Vikings did raid their own, the archaeologist says, but measures put in place to protect trade and the benefits of trade meant that raiding villages along that route was less attractive. So those who wished to continue with this activity had to find new hunting grounds, outside of Scandinavia. And thus began the raids overseas in Ireland, Scotland and England.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencenorway.no ...
What did people do with so many whetstones 1,300 years ago? The two light grey stones were found in Eidsborg in Telemark, while the darkest ones are from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag.Photo: Irene Baug
later
I’d love to have a Viking whetstone. It would be enjoyable to use.
As kids we used to collect shiny, smooth brown stones called “lucky stones”. I still have a couple lying around somewhere.
Were those to comb their dreadlocks?
Cold hard cash!
Where any manufactured by Hoppes?
Were any manufactured by Hoppes?
Bkmk
If they had only sailed to Arkansas.
Found in Minnesota?
lol
Love my Arkansas hardstone.
Like anything, it started innocently... first a whetstone here and there, then a nickel or dime, not much, but before you know it, they needed kilos of everyone else’s stones.
I bet every non-Viking owned a wet stone too
That’s what she said.
Bookmark
So why did they plant them at Stonehenge, and how the heck did they get them to grow?
Turns out, they actually removed all the rest of the Stonehenge-like monuments, and whittled each stone down until they were portable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
