Querns in Context:The Reuse of Quernstones at Firgaarde, an Iron Age Settlement in East Jutland, Denmark

This article examines the reuse of quernstones at Firgaarde, a multi-phase Iron Age settle-ment in East Jutland (second century BCE–fourth century CE). Such finds are typically regarded as either accidentally abandoned or repurposed as convenient building material, but this study challenges that view. Contextual analysis of 176 recovered querns reveals patterned reuse, with practices shifting over time: from discrete placements in pits, to inte-gration into key architectural features, to the sealing of a household with burnt and broken rotary querns. These patterns indicate that quernstones were perceived as active participants in social life, valued for properties extending well beyond their grinding function. View-ing these relationships through a contextual lens over almost six centuries highlights the enduring cultural and social significance of these objects; a significance often overlooked in archaeological interpretation.