Smooth and Rough Areas on Same Surface 

Waizaro Asmera explained that she used a single madit for all crops including wheat, barley, t’ef and finger millet. Her practice is to prepare the surface depending on which crop she will be grinding. Her madit had areas where the surface was worn more than another section of the surface, but both sections show some wear (Figures 1 and 2). In the first image (Figure 1), as well as other surfaces observed, coarse (rough) surfaces have distinct crystals with defined borders. Topographic differences are noted with some crystals extending out from the surface. Evidence of fatigue wear on the projecting crystals is visible on the tips of asperities fractured enough to reflect light. Abrasive wear can also be noted on tops of crystals (reflecting light), an indication of stone-on-stone wear at the highest topographic levels.

In the smoother area of the same surfaces (Figure 2), the quartz crystals are consistently leveled over the area, resulting in a flatter topography. Crystals have been worn down to the same plane. Crystal borders are not clearly defined in the smooth textured sections and present a sense of the crystals ‘melding’ or ‘blending’ together.