A recent study conducted by researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) has shed light on the deep symbolic significance of grinding tools used by Europe’s earliest Neolithic societies.
These tools, buried in ritual deposits, were closely linked to cycles of time, human life, nature, and the evolution of settlements. The study, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, focuses on the analysis of three deposits discovered in Germany, containing fourteen sets of stone mills used by the Linear Pottery culture.
Reaching its peak between 4900 and 4650 BCE in Central Europe, this society left behind intriguing artifacts that provide insight into their spiritual and cultural practices. The deposits, located in Goseck (Saxony-Anhalt) and Sömmerda (Thuringia), were carefully examined to understand their technical, functional, and symbolic characteristics.
A Reflection of Life Cycles
One of the study’s most revealing aspects was the deliberate removal of these millstones from households. While some were practically new, others showed intermediate signs of use, and some were completely worn out. This selection suggests a symbolic representation of different life stages: birth, growth, and death.
Additionally, the tools were meticulously arranged in deposits, often placed in contact with their work surfaces and oriented towards the east and west. Researchers also discovered that the materials used to craft these tools came from distant regions, indicating a significant investment in their production and preservation.
These findings highlight the profound social value these objects held within their communities.
The Social and Temporal Significance of Grinding Tools
According to Erik Zamzow, a PhD candidate in the UAB’s Department of Prehistory and lead author of the study, the lifecycle of these tools was intrinsically linked to the perception of time.
"Each mill reflects a cycle of production, use, and burial, closely connected to the lives of the women who primarily used them," notes Zamzow.
In the domestic setting, the use and maintenance of millstones were part of the daily responsibilities of women in Linear Pottery culture. Over time, their gradual wear symbolized the transmission of knowledge across generations, reinforcing a parallel between the life cycles of individuals and their settlements, which were periodically abandoned and reoccupied.
Until now, the ritual deposits of grinding tools have been interpreted primarily in relation to annual agricultural rhythms. However, the UAB team proposes a broader and more multidimensional understanding of time.
"The intention behind these deposits reflects a complex perception of time, not just linked to harvests but also to the lives of the women who used these mills daily," explains Roberto Risch, the study’s coordinator.
A Long-Standing Tradition and Its Adaptation to the Female Body
Risch emphasizes the continuity of this practice in modern self-sufficient agricultural societies, where hand mills remain essential tools. Each of these tools is the result of an ongoing adaptation between the human body—particularly that of women—and the stone over the course of years or even decades.
The German deposits studied have been compared with similar findings in France and Belgium, as well as with various related structures across Central Europe. So far, at least 20 such deposits have been identified, containing a total of 89 tools linked to 13 settlements or ritual enclosures.
For decades, grinding tools were understood purely from a functional perspective.
"Our study adds an extra layer of symbolic meaning, which we hope to continue exploring," says Marina Eguíluz, one of the study’s authors and a PhD candidate in Prehistory at UAB.
This research not only enhances our understanding of the role of tools in early agricultural societies but also underscores their connection to social identity, cultural traditions, and the enduring relationship between humans and their environment.
