The centre of the Viking Age city of Jorvik lay just to the south of the old Roman fortress, but occupation clearly stretched beyond this core, especially along the river banks. Downriver from the centre of York, where the River Foss joins the River Ouse, excavations uncovered Viking Age pits and features which must be associated with settlement.

One pit was found to contain two large circular stones which, when fully uncovered, proved to be a pair of complete rotary quernstones or millstones, appearing much as they would have done the day they were discarded. These would originally have been used to grind grain to make flour. Why they were discarded is unclear — they seem complete and still in working order. Perhaps they were thrown away when the site was being developed for the construction of the Gilbertine Priory of St Andrew in 1194.

(Photograph: ©York Archaeological Trust)
Scale length = 0.5m

Treatment and analysis

Bringing it alive

Find numbers 1985.9 5271-2, catalogue number 4513, diameter of lower stone 408.8mm, upper stone 400.5mm.
For more information, see: The Archaeology of York 17/9, Anglian and Other Finds from Fishergate by Nicola S.H. Rogers, and 11/2, The Church and Gilbertine Priory of St Andrew, Fishergate by Richard L. Kemp and C. Pamela Graves.

The objects are on display in JORVIK.