SELF-REFLECTION A WINNER FOR IQA AWARDS

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SELF-REFLECTION SEES EVERYONE A WINNER AT IQA AWARDS

The IQA has a way of finding the industry’s best and brightest, even when they’re as humble and unassuming as Chris Hamilton. As a winner of not one but two IQA Awards, he is just one example of the industry’s quiet achievers.

Chris Hamilton (right) receives the 2015 Weir Minerals Young Members Award.

With the annual IQA Conference and Awards on the horizon – in Newcastle, New South Wales on 29 to 31 March, 2022 – nominations will close for all eight awards on 18 January.

Once finalists are locked in, the winner will be announced in front of hundreds of industry peers and mentors, which Chris Hamilton knows to be an honour and a privilege.

He was lucky enough to win Awards in consecutive years – the 2014 Caterpillar Continuous Improvement Award, and the 2015 Weir Minerals Young Members Award, both of which recognised his mountains of work.

Both Hamilton’s awards – and indeed all current IQA Awards – recognise a unique set of attributes in their nominees, making them all the more important to those holding the certificate on stage.

The Continuous Improvement Award was bestowed for an individual’s contribution to improving an Australian extractive business through continuous improvement.

At the time of the awards, Hamilton was one of Holcim’s operations improvement managers for national aggregates and was in his ninth year with the company.

It was a role that led Hamilton to spearhead a major heavy mobile equipment fleet management program which saw his team shuffle 100 pieces of equipment across Holcim Australia’s quarry portfolio. The process took about 12 months and involved 40 different sites across the country.

Hamilton explained the process required a number of different pieces to come together, including telemetry, on-board information and right-sizing fleets through a holistic approach.

“Typically, a site has a number of loaders, a digger and a couple of trucks, and each quarry seems the same as the next,” he told Quarry. “But upon a closer look, you realise if you swap a digger from here and a loader from there, you can find benefits for several sites at once.”

The year-long program involved several onsite, physical reviews for Holcim’s larger sites.

Hamilton said the program found multiple benefits for the company by the time he and his team were through with it. “We performed activity cost analyses to understand where we were struggling, where we had high idle time versus high utilisation, and then implemented the program to improve costs and productivity across the business,” he said.

Of course, as is his nature, Hamilton said no such program or resulting award could be accomplished without a supportive environment and capable colleagues.

“A lot of the awards look like and are individual awards per se. But to execute anything to win an award – be it in management, safety, continuous improvement or whichever – it is a team effort,” Hamilton said. “It involves working in an industry and for an organisation that believes in continuous improvement. You can’t execute projects if the company doesn’t believe in it.

“Then, to be successful you have to earn it in showing that those initiatives are working and making a positive difference to the business.”

‘NO SUBMISSION IS A BAD ONE’ To make a strong submission for the IQA Awards, and to show your work in the industry is worthy of recognition, a suitable amount of effort should be spent, according to Hamilton.

While the 10-plus hours he spent working on his submission may not be viable for some, he stressed the importance of putting your best foot forward.

“You don’t want to submit something that took 45 minutes to type up. You should want to submit something you’re really proud of because you’re representing yourself and your organisation,” Hamilton said.

Also important to consider, for those unsure whether to nominate themselves – or indeed others – is the experience of recognising the

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good work being done throughout the industry.

Hamilton said this part of the process was a real highlight for him. “Even if you don’t win, it’s still quite rewarding to have some inward reflection on what you’ve accomplished personally and within your team,” he said.

“If everyone goes into it with the view to just enjoy pulling the information together and have some self-reflection, everyone’s a winner.”

But in 2015, there was one official winner of the Weir Minerals Young Members Award, and Hamilton was called on stage again.

YOUNG MEMBERS NETWORK The IQA’s Young Members Network was established in 2012 to provide the association’s members under the age of 35 – and all those that are interested in the quarry industry – with guidance, support and an opportunity to develop their quarrying careers.

Having been supported through the industry for almost 10 years to 2015, Hamilton saw himself fit and willing to impart a thing or two upon the next youth in line.

Hamilton and others from around the country and the industry were tasked with forming a committee to align some ideas which would benefit their peers and pupils.

“This was an opportunity for us to reflect on what it was like as we grew through the industry,” Hamilton said. “There’s not often a lot of young people at IQA events, so it was a good opportunity for us to share our experiences while providing mentoring and contacts within the industry.

“We hosted a couple of New South Wales events every year as I thought the social element was as important as the professional element. The latter involved tours of sites, such as the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation and the Newcastle coal handling facilities.”

Once again, Hamilton credited Holcim for supporting him in his time on the Young Members Network committee. “They’re the small things that really matter because without that buy-in from your company it just undermines how much people are willing to put in and give back.”

DON’T DOWNPLAY YOURSELF For both awards, Hamilton received some prize money to be used on training and selfimprovement within the industry.

True to form, he took the opportunity with both hands and used his winnings to take a tour of Caterpillar’s founding facilities in Illinois, USA.

“We saw a lot of their manufacturing facilities, including their R&D and training centres,” Hamilton said. “It was great, we got a look into their whole world from design to manufacturing, and how they put out a very high number of quality products every year.”

Hamilton used proceeds from the Weir Minerals Award to cover an all-expenses paid trip to attend the Construction Materials Industry Conference in Melbourne in 2016 – a joint event with the IQA and Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CCAA).

Hamilton said it was yet another chance for him to continue his ethos of continuous improvement. “I got to attend all the presentations, the dinners, the awards, all the plenary sessions and all the keynote speakers,” he said. “You come away from those events with a whole host of new information and about half a notebook of notes and ideas to dive into over the next 12 months.”

These were just some of the experiences made possible by a submission to the annual IQA Awards, with eight categories of varying criteria up for grabs in 2022. Study tours, networking opportunities and a lot of selfreflection are all available to those willing to take the time to submit or nominate their peers.

Hamilton said there is no use in doubting yourself or your capabilities, and he takes every chance he can to uplift his peers at Holcim and in the wider industry.

“I think most people – me included – are their own harshest critic and sometimes we don’t realise how much of a positive impact we’re having on others,” Hamilton said. “So don’t hold back if you’re umming and ahhhing about what you’ve done and whether your efforts are good enough. Don’t question if you’re wasting your time submitting and just have confidence that you are doing good things.

“And if you recognise those around you are equally worthy of an award, take some time out to pat them on the back and help to compile their submission,” Hamilton added. “Personally, I’ve felt that supporting someone to submit for the awards is just as rewarding, if not more so.

“The kinds of conversations you can have when you tell someone they’re worthy of submitting and watching them do some internal reflection is super rewarding for everyone.”

The submission deadline for the IQA Awards is 5pm AEDST on Tuesday, 18 January, 2022. The Awards will be presented at the IQA Conference in Newcastle, from 29 to 31 March, 2022. For more information about the Awards and to apply, visit quarry.com.au •

Hamilton speaks at the IQA National Conference in 2015. Hamilton receives the Caterpillar Continuous Improvement Award in 2014.

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NEWCASTLE 2022 –

THREE MONTHS TO GO!

The new year 2022 has arrived and we are looking forward to coming together in Newcastle in March for the 63rd IQA National Conference, from 29 to 31 March.

This year’s conference will see the largest number of exhibitors to date with representation across all aspects of the extractive and associated industries. Incorporating three zones, the exhibition will feature 62 booths showcasing the latest products and services.

The exhibition will complement a comprehensive program (see right) and some fantastic networking events. If you are yet to register for in Newcastle, take advantage of the early bird rates and book now at iqa.eventsair/conference

Early bird bookings close on 28 January, 2022. Other highlights of the conference will include: • Two keynote speakers in Michael McQueen and Rachael Robertson. Michael, a renowned futurist, will provide an insight into the future of work and skill requirements for the extractive industry while Rachael will focus on demonstrating big leadership in small moments. • Victoria Sherwood, executive general manager of recycling and growth for Boral, who will provide a presentation on sustainability and the social licence to operate. • A leadership panel featuring industry leaders from Adbri, Boral, Hanson and Holcim. In the history of the IQA national conference, there has never been the opportunity to welcome all four industry leaders to the stage. • The Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia Welcome Function, at the Newcastle Museum on the evening of Tuesday, 29 March. • The Komatsu 100th anniversary dinner, at Newcastle Racecourse on the evening of Wednesday, 30 March. • The Caterpillar Gala Dinner at The Arena at NEX, on the evening of Thursday, 31 March. •

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WA BRANCH NEWS WA branch golf day Surfing Santas and designer tie dye were spied, along with floral leis and even a flamingo at the WA IQA Branch’s Hawaiianthemed annual golf day in November at the Joondalup Resort.

Competition played second fiddle to fun on the day, but 18 players “beat the pro”, three were awarded for shooting nearest the pin and the longest and straightest drives also attracted prizes.

WesTrac Team 2 won gold again this year with a score of 58.37, following their victorious 2020 outing. The Equipment Placement team was second on 59.18 and the Rudd Industrial-Sheffield Group team took out third on 59.34.

The course lit up with long drives, marshmallow hit outs (IKR) and 18 players successfully ‘beat the pro’ with drives that shot balls way into the distance. The fashions on the field were proudly won by Charles Paraka, Jordan Pedley and the RUD Chains team, as players and sponsors gathered for poolside drinks as the sun sank.

A brilliant IQA turnout of 178 players was the venue’s biggest function on a busy Friday. All players bested the course, ably assisted by the rather marvellous Joondalup Golf Club volunteers.

A gorgeous Perth day delivered mildly warm weather on a course that beautifully demonstrates how an exhausted limestone quarry can be redeveloped with a golf course design that’s both brutally difficult (I’m looking at you, sand bunkers) and breathtakingly beautiful.

The stellar sponsor list was warmly thanked for support throughout the day and the WA industry looks forward to doing it all again next year.

The IQA WA Annual Golf Day was held at Joondalup Resort on Friday, 19 November. The 176 players enjoyed ideal conditions on the course. Thank you to over 35 sponsors who supported this year’s event.

The winners were: • 1st Place Team - Westrac Team 2:

Brad Lecocq, John Connell, Jaysen

Taylor, Jake Taylor • 2nd Place Team - Equipment Placement: Brian Bondi, John Bondi, Jason Bondi,

Lindsay Price • 3rd Place Team - Rudd Industrial –

Sheffield Group: Dean Talbot, Kelvin

Andrijich, Matt McLachlan, Martin Cant • 4th Place Team – Blast It Global: Drew

Martin, David Camm, Daniel Tuffin, Tony

Hadley • 5th Place Team – RUD Chains: Novak

Anfuso, Eugene Chai, Scott Melvin,

Marcus Haines

The NAGA went to the Construction Equipment Australia team of Sheridan Dillon, James Daffin, Renahy Van Der Meulen, and Neil Stagg.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS SA branch dinner The SA branch always strives to keep a fresh format for our meetings so for the 12 November dinner meeting we ventured to the Adelaide’s Western Suburbs for the first time and held the function at the newly refurbished Kooyonga Golf Club. The new location proved a huge hit and was topped off by an informative and entertaining presentation from our guest presenter, Commonwealth medallist and Olympic Games participant, Jessica Stenson (nee Trengrove). Jess’s story gave an insight on her journey from the primary school

Guest speaker and former Australian Olympian Jessica Stenson with SA branch chairman Andrew Wilson.

Andrew Wilson presents a Membership certificate to Matthew Renton, of Hallett Resources.

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playground to dreaming big and ultimately standing on the world’s stage as one of Australia’s top marathon runners.

SA branch chairman Andrew Wilson presented a Membership certificate to Matthew Renton, of Hallett Resources.

The SA branch again thanks its sponsors for their continued support which goes a long way to ensuring that the branch remains relevant, vibrant and effective for its members. In particular, appreciation and best wishes are extended to Paul Magarey from Groundwater Science, who has been a long-term sponsor and supporter of the branch as he commences new employment in 2022.

QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS Health and safety workshop highlights proactive, preventative approaches to safety The Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA) Queensland branch held a follow up health and safety workshop in Brisbane on 11 November. The aim was to provide an opportunity to update knowledge on key safety topics raised at the Queensland Safety & Health Conference earlier in the year and promote further dialogue about ways to improve the industry’s approach to work health and safety issues.

After the positive feedback received at the mid-year health and safety conference in Brisbane, the Institute (IQA) brought in three experts to educate members on how they can improve their safety standards, as well as educating them on their liabilities in the event of serious accidents or fatalities.

One of the presenters was Jodie Goodall, Brady Heywood’s Head of Organisational Reliability.

Goodall’s primary philosophy stems from seeing through the implementations of positive strategies within high reliability organisations (HRO). She explained how quarrying businesses could implement more pre-emptive strategies to keep their employees safe and avoid the damning statistics around employee safety outlined within the Brady Report prepared last year for the Queensland Government. “There is this outstanding pattern that continues to happen,” Goodall explained. “The first thing that is noticeable is that the mining and quarrying industries are not improving. There have been 12 fatalities in any five-year period over the past 20 years, resulting in an average of 2.4 fatalities every year. “The Brady Report suggests this is due to the industry’s increasing and decreasing periods of vigilance and that’s why the key recommendations from the report are to adopt the key principles of high reliability organisations,” Goodall said.

The key principles stemming from HROs that Goodall felt would best aid quarrying businesses were the management of critical risk, the development of pre-emptive

Harold Downes presents to the IQA’s health and safety workshop.

Alan Girle, Special Counsel of Macpherson Kelley Lawyers, provided advice on how to make the legal process smoother after major incidents.

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Jodi Goodall, expert in HRO, Brady Heywood, spoke about the notion of chronic unease.

systems to capture warning signs of failure, and having a chronic unease mindset.

Through these strategies, Goodall believes that businesses within the field will be able to build proactive cornerstones within their organisations that will try to the best of their abilities to prevent fatalities.

They would also help businesses form and solidify clear and concise processes if fatalities were to occur.

After Goodall’s presentation, the conference turned its focus to the legalities within the extractive industries.

Harold Downes, Partner at Mills Oakley, made a poignant observation that in the past the quarrying industry had been “two steps ahead of the regulator” but today its members are more likely to be “three steps behind”. He urged every member to be up to date and familiar with extractive regulations in Queensland or the other jurisdictions in which they operate.

Downes added it is evident that in the past there was not as much administrative paperwork and compliance that needed to be done, compared to the present time.

Due to this added complexity, combined with the inclusion of the Industrial Manslaughter charge in Queensland, Downes said quarries need to be more vigilant on their sites than ever before.

Downes was joined by Alan Girle, Special Counsel of Macpherson Kelley Lawyers. He provided insight and advice on how to make the legal process run more smoothly after major incidents.

“When you have a good communication process, you will do everything you can to have the [victim’s] family on side,” Girle said.

“For any given situation you need to think about how carefully you are going to manage the situation,” he added.

Overall, the workshop provided a great opportunity for attendees to learn new techniques on how to make its businesses safer, and in turn, avoid serious injuries and fatalities.

The workshop was sponsored by Phoenix Occupational Medicine. A networking sundowner, which followed the workshop, was sponsored by Health Surveillance Australia.

Jodie Goodall’s thoughts on chronic unease appeared in the December 2021 issue of Quarry.

NEW SOUTH WALES CENTRAL WEST SUB-BRANCH NEWS Evening Meeting & Networking Dinner The Central West sub-branch gathered in Orange on Thursday, 25 November for an afternoon meeting followed by a networking dinner.

Chairman Mitchell Bland and a group of 20 attendees welcomed Andrew Palmer, the Manager of Mining Competencies and Authorisations, Russell Wood, Principal Inspector of Metex and Petroleum, and Ron Dillon, Mine Safety Officer from the NSW Resources Regulator Department. A presentation was delivered on the framework for quarry manager competency requirements, the different practicing certificate tiers, and the Maintenance of Competence scheme.

The IQA’s education co-ordinator Emily Logan joined the meeting to present an update on the suite of professional development courses on offer via the IQA. Emily also presented the group with an update on IQA’s logbook product that has been developed to support the industry in tracking their CPD hours to comply with the NSW Maintenance of Competency Scheme. IQA NEW MEMBERS

GRADE NAME BRANCH

TMIQ Hayden Mark Johnson ACT

PMEM Niall Ivory

MIQ Niall Horan NQLD

NQLD

AIQ Ross Carter NSW

MIQ Charles Villiers Stuart NSW

TMIQ Andrew John Lawrence NSW

AIQ Abdul Nasir

AIQ Michelle Grady

TMIQ Ryan Stacey

TMIQ Dave Lide NSW

NSW

NSW

NSW

TMIQ Glen James Storey NSW

AIQ Trevor Robert Stride NSW

TMIQ Keelan McNulty QLD

TMIQ Sam David Hill QLD

TMIQ George Kenneth Watson QLD

MIQ Kerryanne Tawhai QLD

MIQ Ethan Matthew McPhail SA

TMIQ Luke Curran SA

MIQ David John Schwarz SA

AIQ David Barry SA

TMIQ Andrew Brasser VIC

TMIQ Rachel Louise Dillon VIC

MIQ Mathew Lees VIC

TMIQ Jayden Bosch VIC

TMIQ Bradley Connolly VIC

TMIQ Daryl Ford VIC

MIQ Morgan Day

TMIQ Luke Webb VIC

VIC

AIQ Rodney Mark Kuzma VIC

AIQ Nishant Mohan VIC

MIQ Luke Campbell VIC

TMIQ David Kevin Miller VIC

MIQ Alex F Carlin VIC

TMIQ Allan Gibbs WA

MIQ Benjamin John Suda WA

MIQ Johannes Hendrik Barnard WA

TMIQ Kyle Matthew North WA

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Further details on the education opportunities available and the new IQA Logbook product can be found via the IQA website: quarry.com.au

TASMANIAN BRANCH NEWS WorkSafe Quarry Improvement Project Andrew Tunstall, the Tasmanian Chief Inspector of Mines and Major Hazards, spoke to the members of the Tasmanian branch on the third and fourth phases of WorkSafe Tasmania’s Quarry Improvement project. In 2019, Andrew spoke to the Branch about the projects first two phases.

• Phase 1: Plant guarding. • Phase 2: Other hazards.

At the meeting on 10 November, Pam Atkinson, WorkSafe’s senior WHS consultant spoke about the changes to the exposure standards for respirable crystalline silica (RSC) soon to be introduced in the state.

Andrew provided a detailed update on: - Phase 3: Dust control and health monitoring. • Phase 4: Safety Management

System (SMS).

The IQA will be working with the regulator to deliver specific training on RSC and the SMS in the new year, and ensure the industry has access to resources and training to support quarries looking to align their SMS to current requirements or improve their overall SMS.

IQA CEO Kylie Fahey presented Sam Benson with his membership certificate and welcomed him to the role of Young Member Network Coordinator. Sam outlined his plans to increase the number of younger people engaged in events, especially training and will be launching a number of activities in 2022.

After the workshop, members and nonmembers enjoyed a social networking dinner. The Tasmanian branch thanks Maxfield Drilling for its generous support of the workshop and dinner.

QUARRY ROADS & ONSITE VEHICLES WEBINAR Following on from a recent campaign by the NSW Resources Regulator Vehicle

IQA CEO Kylie Fahey presents Sam Benson with his Membership certificate at the Tasmanian branch day on 25 November.

Incidents - Heading in the Wrong Direction, and continued high frequency of incidents involving vehicles both light, heavy, and mobile plant in our industry, the IQA developed the webinar “Quarry Roads and Onsite Vehicle Safety”.

This facilitated online webinar is designed to provide participants with an understanding of the safety, efficiency, and productivity considerations for managing haul roads and transport in quarries and improving collision avoidance.

The IQA launched the first webinar on 12 October, which sold out swiftly, resulting in a second session being delivered on 25 November. David Eckford was pleased with the learnings from the webinar stating: “The webinar was well presented, the content was interesting and I got a lot out of it.”

For those that missed out, registrations are open now for the next Quarry Roads and Onsite Vehicle Safety webinar, to be held on Thursday, 7 April. For more information, visit the IQA website: quarry. com.au/events

GET INVOLVED IN THE IQA Quarry Magazine Content Advisor – contract role The Quarry Magazine Content Advisor is responsible for supporting the technical accuracy of articles in Quarry magazine (print and electronic). They are responsible for providing advice to help with factually correct technical information. The contractor will collaborate with the editor of Quarry, the IQA CEO and the magazine’s editorial panel to identify relevant news stories and support editorial content.. For more information, download the EOI form from the IQA website: quarry.com.au (> Extractive Industry > Our Partners).

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REAFFIRMING THE INDUSTRY’S

COMMITMENT TO MORE SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES

Significant action is occurring to address climate change and build a sustainable future for our industry and future generations. Across the sector, and as members of the Institute, we acknowledge that our industry is instrumental in delivering the built environment. Equally, it is at the forefront of solutions that will support outcomes for decarbonisation and sustainability.

All parts of the industry are delivering innovations and new ways of working to support a more sustainable future. The IQA will be looking to support the industry and the agenda to reduce emissions, use primary materials more efficiently, improve the use of recycled materials and enhance restoration.

We will be partnering with other peak bodies and the IQUK to offer a number of resources addressing a range of sustainability issues and projects and share best practices in this space. As the sector continues to innovate to deliver products in ways that minimise carbon emissions, we are adapting and delivering real change. Much of the change in delivering more sustainable outcomes is reliant on the adoption and development of new technologies.

As industry professionals, these changes for the sector will drive the need for developing new skills and job roles. It will require us to align our traditional core skills with new techniques and processes. Managing the workforce of the future is here to stay.

Proudly, the IQA’s 2022 conference will host the largest exhibition of any IQA conference of the last 64 years. Many of our exhibitors and sponsors will be showcasing innovations, products, equipment and services that focus on sustainability and improved environmental outcomes. Equally, the program will address sustainability, future challenges and the engagement of the workforce.

KYLIE FAHEY Chief Executive Officer Institute of Quarrying Australia

Membership Review Committee nomination The IQA is seeking an EOI for up to five additional representatives from industry, branches and sub-branches, and suppliers to join the Membership Review Committee (MRC). The MRC’s role will be to:

i) Determine applications for member status, where applicants do not have a formal or exempting qualification. ii) Determine applications for membership that are referred to it by the National Office staff or Chair of the

Committee. iii) Determine applications for membership that are referred to it by applicants that are not happy with the decision of the National Office staff or Chair of the Committee. iv) Review and provide recommendations to the Board via the Chief Executive Officer on all nominations for Fellowship. v) Review and provide recommendations to the Board via the CEO on all nominations for Honorary Fellowship. vi) Review and provide advice to the CEO on all membership matters. vii) Review and provide advice to the CEO on strategies to sustain and grow membership. viii) Refer matters of Committee composition, membership guideline amendments, membership grades and annual membership fees to the Board via the

CEO.

For more information, download the EOI form from the IQA website: quarry.com.au (>Membership Review Committee). EDUCATION EVENTS – EARLY 2022 - The first two webinars on the Victorian Earth

Resources Regulation Update on annual reporting requirements were recently sold out. Watch this space for more details on another webinar. - The Slope Stability virtual workshop will proceed on 24 February, 2022. - Quarry Products Technical Training virtual workshop will proceed on 22 March, 2022. - The Electrical Awareness virtual workshop will be conducted on 6 April, 2022. •

• 11 February, 2022 NSW Student Presentation Night, Sydney. • 21 February, 2022 NSW YMN Site Tour and Lunch, Albion Park. • 24 February, 2022 SA Diversity and Inclusion Conference, Adelaide, brought to you by the SA division of the Women in Quarrying Network.

The full calendar for 2022 branch events is available on the IQA website: quarry.com.au

UPCOMING BRANCH EVENTS - EARLY 2022

GEOLOGY TALK

STONE TOOLS DISCOVERED WITHIN FORMER ROMAN ENCLAVE IN MOROCCO

Stone utensils, including millstones, presses and mixing vats, have been recovered from the ruins of Volubilis, in Morocco. A reconstructed Roman olive press in Volubilis.

An analysis has been conducted of the stone tools recovered from a former outpost within the Roman Empire. The discovery highlights how ancient bakers and millers relied on the local geology to acquire the correct tools.

Through an analysis of the tools, scientists and archaeologists at the Austin geology lab of the University of Texas were able to identify dough mixing vats and millstones that linked the city of Volubilis, Morocco.

Volubilis has been known to be the site of previous Roman-era ruins which were made from specific rock types which would have aided the tools’ function.

A continual analysis conducted by the researchers discovered that the stones were sourced locally, a discovery that challenges a theory that some millstones had been imported from afar.

The discovery also highlighted how the craftspeople who made the tools may have received input straight from the workers who used them.

The study’s co-author, Assistant Professor Jared Benton of the Old Dominion University, said that “it is interesting because it is a very local source and seemingly from one source”. “One wonders if there’s not a group of bakers that are coming together and saying let’s buy our stuff from this one quarry, or maybe there’s just one guy who [sells the stones], and that’s it,” he told the UT News website.1

The research was also able to identify the original tool for each rock type.

Grains millstones were made from vesicular basalts (a volcanic stone full or sharped-edged pores) and olive mills were made from clastic, fossiliferous limestone (a limestone containing fragments of other rocks and small fossil shells).

The study also notes how the rocks’ attributes relate to each tool’s function.

This can be seen in the pores of the basalt, which may have helped provide new edges that could help grind wheat into flour as the stone was worn down.

In addition, the research found that each rock type came from one location compared to being sourced from different places around Volubilis.

Overall the study has been a great example of collaborative research,.

“It is hardly the only collaboration between geologists and archaelogists, but an excellent one,” Roman settlements expert Elizabeth Fentress said.

“The key is, as here, that the archaeologists ask the right questions and use their knowledge to interpret the answers.”

The research paper on the stone tools of the Volubilis stones can be found in the latest Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

2 •

REFERENCES & FURTHER READING 1 UT News, University of Texas. Roman-era mixers and millstones made with geology in mind. news.utexas.edu/2021/09/21/ roman-era-mixers-and-millstones-made-withgeology-in-mind/ 2 Weller D, Orlandini O, Benton J, Schirmer C, LoBue L, Culotta S. Provenancing the stone tools of Volubilis, Morocco: A Socio-economic interpretation of stonework lithologies. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports; Vol 38, August 2021. doi. org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.103105