Roman Scales (Illustration by Roy Fern)

There was a well-organised system of weights and measures in Roman times, which was consistent throughout the empire.

The bronze arm of a balance, libra, was found in Rocester. The arm would have had two pans at either end and a central pivot from which it was suspended.

 
A Roman Quernstone

Quernstones were used to grind grain, and could be worked by hand, water or an animal depending on their size. The rotary quernstone above, found at Hednesford in South Staffordshire, was for use by hand.

The lower stone was stationary, with the upper stone being turned around to provide the grinding action. The lower stone would have had a metal spindle in the central hole to help support the upper stone. The slot on the edge of the upper stone was for a wooden handle. The faces of the stones slope down to help the grain and flour move out of the mill.

The stones were very rough. A rotary quern had to be made of very coarse, hard stone so that the grain was ground properly.