Ancient garden from Babylon to Rome
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Smoothing tool and whetstones
© Institute and Museum of the History of Science

Smoothing tool and whetstones

Stone, 1st cent. A.D.
Pompeii, House of Menander
Soprintendenza Archeologica di Pompei, inv. 5028

Farm implements had to be sharpened continuously. This was done by rubbing the blades repeatedly and alternatively on a block of iron and on the grindstone.