Lump of Pumice
Most people probably hear the word ‘pumice’ and think of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius—or a tool used to exfoliate your feet! However, this lump of pumice belongs to an utterly different time and place. It was found in a Norse burial, located in the sand dunes of Balnakeil Bay in northern Scotland.1 The burial was discovered in 1991, when a heavy windstorm exposed a skeleton embedded in the dunes. Many objects were found with this skeleton, including a sword with a preserved organic scabbard, pins, and knives.2 This burial has been dated to the late 9th-early 10th century CE.
However, it is more likely that this pumice was used to clean and prepare animal hides. Its rough surface makes it a perfect tool for coarse scraping. Though there are no written records of pumice being used by the Norse as a hide-preparing tool, pumice has been found in another Norse grave on Rousay, one of the Orkney Islands. The presence of pumice in this burial can provide some insight on the subsistence methods of the Norse. They clearly hunted large animals and prepared their hides for use.
Somewhat puzzlingly, this 41 by 33 millimeter lump of pumice stone was also found within the burial. Pumice is a volcanic rock, which forms when a volcano ejects magma which then cools very rapidly, trapping air bubbles within the rock to form vesicles. From Balnakeil Bay, the closest location with volcanic activity is Iceland, so it is possible that this rock simply washed ashore and got mixed up with the grave goods.
However, it is more likely that this pumice was used to clean and prepare animal hides. Its rough surface makes it a perfect tool for coarse scraping. Though there are no written records of pumice being used by the Norse as a hide-preparing tool, pumice has been found in another Norse grave on Rousay, one of the Orkney Islands. The presence of pumice in this burial can provide some insight on the subsistence methods of the Norse. They clearly hunted large animals and prepared their hides for use.
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