Everyone Owned It In Ancient Greece — The Simple Tool Used For Pulling Weeds

While advances in technology and medicine have caused our world to look quite a bit different to the world of the ancient Greeks, there is actually one tool that is still in use today which they would likely recognize from their own daily lives. This tool is called a mattock. Very similar in shape to a pickaxe, this clever tool has reportedly been used in the past for a variety of different tasks all over the world — from taking the blubber off a whale carcass to pulling tree roots out of the ground. However, as shown through illustrations found on Greek vases, the mattock seems to have also been used in ancient Greece for pulling up weeds, a task which we still do today in our own backyards, gardens, and farms. 

Back then, many ancient mattocks were made out of animal materials such as antlers. However, since then this tool has evolved to have a metal head — which has one flattened horizontal end and one vertical end. The two head ends at different angles make this tool great for breaking into hard soil, then pulling up stones, tree roots, and — crucially — weeds. Hearing that this tool dates back to ancient times may lead you to believe that it is likely no longer very useful in a modern garage. However, the mattock is still a helpful weeding tool worth buying today, and it can make a huge difference in your own yard — if used correctly.

A mattock works a little bit like a simple crowbar. It allows you to take advantage of leverage in order to increase your strength and take the pressure of your muscles and joints, so it's one tool that can make a gardener's life easier. To use it, position yourself in front of a weed, with the flat end of the mattock — called the adze — pointing away from you. Then, swing the mattock so that the adze lands in the soil on the far side of the weed. Depending on the design of your mattock, make sure not to swing too wildly because the metal head is sometimes not fastened to the handle but simply pressed down onto it. This makes it easy to take apart for storage and transport.

With the adze in the soil on the far side of the weed, you can then lever the mattock to pull it up and out of the soil. Make sure to get the bulk of the weed's root ball. Some users also recommend placing a foot on the end of the mattock head – with close-toed shoes for safety — then pinching the weed's foliage between your foot and the metal. When you go to pull it up, it will come out more cleanly and won't slide away from the blade. You can also flip the tool around to strike with the vertical edge, perfect for slicing roots. Finally, make sure to move the weed from its original spot so it can't settle back into the soil and continue to grow. You can even compost your weeds, as long as you consider a few important things, including that they haven't gone to seed and the compost is hot enough to break them down fully.