We’ve had a few comments and questions about the mysterious round thing which is most brazenly sitting in the middle of our site. Outrageous, considering we haven’t even started properly excavating yet. As you can see from the pictures below, it is cunningly crafted from sandstone (you can just see some of the tooling marks left on its surface) and is getting on for about 2m diameter (I haven’t been bothered to measure it yet – I am very busy and probably quite important). It is formed from four separate pieces of stone, which do not appear to have been joined in any way. A recess has been cut in the surface.
OMG, what is it?
Current theories include: repurposed millstone from the former flour mill and granary (1842-54), grindstone for the bone mill (1860s), crane base, keyhole to the Hellmouth, a mushroom production mould. It is unlikely to be a millstone for flour, as sandstone will grind down and deposit sand in the meal (bad for the teeth). Also working against this theory is the lack of any iron banding around the outside, which would have been necessary to hold the four pieces together.
Currently we think that it is the base of a crane, with a recess cut for the timberwork. This is supported by the location of the thing, as it sits within an area of the complex that was used as the ‘mechanics’ yard’ between 1856-77 (note the dolerite gravel around it). However, why go to the effort of cutting it round? Were the administrators obsessed with roundness? As we excavate deeper will we find a colony of igloos or shielings (look it up), constructed by station administrators who hated the idea of corners and lines. Unlikely, but only time will tell.
Yes. It’s a keyhole
