Decorated quern, Stranraer

The broken top stone from a quern for grinding cereal. Most querns are crudely made.  This example, however, has been beautifully finished and is decorated with two - there may originally have been three - raised straps radiating from the centre.  At the end of each strap is a hollow to take a peg handle. Similar decorated querns have been found at Iron Age and Early Medieval sites.   The exact provenance of this object is not known, however it found a second life as a garden ornamant at Broadstone, Stranraer.