Tribulum or skinning board

Large tribulum composed of more than 4000 flint points.

The tribulum is an agricultural tool used since the third millennium BC. It is one of the oldest agricultural tools and well known during Roman times. Particularly characteristic of the Mediterranean basin, this machine tool is used to deseed cereals, that is to say separate the grains from the stalks.

The underside of our tribulum is encrusted with around 4000 flint flakes, the rarest being those of more than 3000 stones as indicated on the Musées d'Occitanie website. This side was in contact with the cereals. The tribulum was pulled by donkeys, horses or oxen using the ring that we see on the back side. The farmer remains standing on this “sled” during the operation in order to add weight.


Early 19th century period.