Fies u baqqun / Pickaxe and pick mattock

Fies u baqqun / Pickaxe and pick mattock

Fies u baqqun / Pickaxe and pick mattock

Il-fies kien il-qofol fil-bini, waqt li l-baqqun, kien jintuża mill-bennej biex ibaqqan xi gandott jew xi kanal fil-ġebla. Il-fies, kellu fuq naħa ponta irqiqa biex iniffed fil-ġebla jew fil-blat, waqt li fuq in-naħa ta’ wara kien naqra ċatt biex iħammel ir-ramel li jitfarfar mit-tbaqqin tal-baqqun.

The pick mattock was the main tool for building, while the pickaxe was used to make a trench or a channel in a rock. The pick mattock had a thin point on one end to break through rocks and stone, while the other end was flat to clear the sand that came from chipping away at the stone with the pickaxe.