I believe that your implement is a threshing sledge or tribulum. You can
read all about them at:
http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org/publications/HTMLPublications/47/ch08.htm#bm3-His
tory%20of%20Harvesting%20and%20Threshing%20Techniques%20for%20Cereals%20in%2
0the%20Prehistoric%20Near%20East%20P.C.%20Anderson . This article is
specifically about prehistoric ones, but it has a great description. I also
found online images of such threshing sledges being used today in 3rd world
countries. 

Becky Fitzgerald
Executive Director
Susquehanna Museum

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Candace Perry
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 2:51 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: mysterious farm implement

Greetings, all those out in museum land...
I am trying to identify a farm implement that has now had several purposes
ascribed to it -- and since no one's actually seen one used, I'm not
convinced!
It's sled like object -- rather like a wide toboggan -- with two wrought
iron loops on the curved end that would allow the thing to be hitched to a
horse, ox or mule, presumably.  Then, embedded in one side are hundreds of
pieces of worked flint -- looks like either broken arrowheads or tools.
Some say it's a kind of smoother that would break up clumps in a field --
but the flint couldn't do that, it's too fine, I think.  Then I have another
description that makes it sound like some sort of threshing device or corn
sheller, something that would separate the husks from corn, specifically.
This particular implement I think was used in NJ but I've seen one other --
and only one other -- in SE PA.
Any ideas?
Candace Perry
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center

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