Nothing Fancy

[Tesorodeoro]

What I call a Mano rind.
This one is old, weathered and worn down to the fingertips. Discarded down the hill from their camp in Northern California.

I share this type of find with my family and I get the distinct feeling they are thinking I’m seeing things and it’s just a regular rock like any other.

The stone type was popular at this site, My theory is it was because it kept its “bite”. I’m not sure what it is, but they sure must have had gritty food.

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[Tesorodeoro]

Here is another one that is much less weathered, but broken. Same type of rock.

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Nothing spectacular like what you folks have been sharing, but right on par with the type of stuff I was posting prior (under a different handle). Stuff that the arrowhead hunters passed by.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

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Much more competent stone, but still kind of similar in that it is a porous stone.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

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[Tesorodeoro]

This last one really isn’t a “rind”, rather just shows some light grinding wear and made its way home from the field. Still kind of a porous looking stone. Maybe just lightly worn, or maybe pecked so as to give it more bite.

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[ToddsPoint]

Your family is correct. All I see are natural rocks. Gary

 

[MosesOfTheSouth]

i see things that are fractured but could have been used depending on the context and location of discovery in association to moving water.. most have a smooth side and appropriate bevel to indicate perhaps at some point they were used to grind something before the pieces broke off.

you talked about gritty food in your first post. if you ever get the opportunity to visit various museums that have skeletal remains of early people, pay special attention to their teeth. depending on life span, their chompers really get worn down to the nub at an early age.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Your family is correct. All I see are natural rocks. Gary

That’s ok, I knew that was coming since they are not real defined artifacts like you typically see posted here.
I believe it was a grainy/porous stone that wouldn’t plug up, and would conform to the metate.

I do respect your knowledge.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

i see things that are fractured but could have been used depending on the context and location of discovery in association to moving water.. most have a smooth side and appropriate bevel to indicate perhaps at some point they were used to grind something before the pieces broke off.

you talked about gritty food in your first post. if you ever get the opportunity to visit various museums that have skeletal remains of early people, pay special attention to their teeth. depending on life span, their chompers really get worn down to the nub at an early age.

Context is they were found within a 40’ radius of where a bark house once stood.
Of course that is a magnet for a bull dozer...so the site has been compromised, not to mention the area tilled for agriculture purposes.

No moving water nearby these days. Perhaps thousands of years ago. In an area where they would hunt for small game and collect acorns.

I don’t find these worn flat stones in the surrounding area.

It’s ok, I wasn’t looking for validation. Just sharing.

 

[southfork]

I can't tell from the photos what you have but most Manos are well defined many with a flat side . Your finds look heat fractured maybe from the sweat lodge ? you say bark house ?

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I can't tell from the photos what you have but most Manos are well defined many with a flat side . Your finds look heat fractured maybe from the sweat lodge ? you say bark house ?

I understand their dwellings in this area were bark houses..recessed into the earth some.
Not your stereotypical “tee-pee”. You stepped down when entering the dwelling. Many times the walls and roof were made from slabs thick cedar bark.

I’ve actually driven down river to a local tribal area and seen ruins of old bark houses along the road. Who knows who old they are.

The stones all have definitely been ground smooth on one side.
I suppose it could have been from glacier action, but these are not hard stones.

I have to assume it was from rubbing against another stone surface.

 

[MosesOfTheSouth]

Context is they were found within a 40’ radius of where a bark house once stood.
Of course that is a magnet for a bull dozer...so the site has been compromised, not to mention the area tilled for agriculture purposes.

No moving water nearby these days. Perhaps thousands of years ago. In an area where they would hunt for small game and collect acorns.

I don’t find these worn flat stones in the surrounding area.

It’s ok, I wasn’t looking for validation. Just sharing.

sorry if what i said wasn't read how or what it was intended to voice. toddspoint is a wealth of knowledge. in this scenario i didn't personally agree with his post on those being natural rocks.

the things you posted showed human use if they didn't come out of a waterway.

thank you for sharing.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

sorry if what i said wasn't read how or what it was intended to voice. toddspoint is a wealth of knowledge. in this scenario i didn't personally agree with his post on those being natural rocks.

the things you posted showed human use if they didn't come out of a waterway.

thank you for sharing.

Thanks for the clarification. My feathers don’t get ruffled too easily and I do appreciate and consider everyone’s opinions that are shared here.

 

[MosesOfTheSouth]

could the mod that moved this to geo move it back to NA?