Divot Stones...Lets see yours

[rock]

I know probably everyone finds these but just doesn't post them. I know some can be Hammer Stones but what other uses were they for and why would you want to take the time to make a divot on a hammer anyway when a normal rock would do? All of these have divots on them some deeper than others. Most of these I have found in quarry sites. Id be interested in seeing yours and the reason you feel they were made as to the uses of them. I don't believe any reason could be wrong so lets hear them. Id like to learn something today, rock

 

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[Indian Steve]

If you take a rock without divots and hold it in your hand and use it repeatedly to hammer with, you will soon have problems with your wrist and arm. If you hold a hammer stone with your thumb and finger loosely in the divots, you can hammer all day long without harm. Your fingers are used to lift the hammer and guide it on the downward stroke but are loose enough to not send the impact into your wrist and arm. I had a friend that made a beautiful greenstone celt using a hammerstone pecking for hours and holding it tight. He required surgery on his wrist afterwards.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Here's a few of my Pitted Stones. Some of these have only one divot while others will have multiple ones and on both faces.

 

[rock]

Well 90% of the ones I find are quartzite or sandstone wonder why they didn't use a harder stone as a hammer?

 

[captain redbeard]

found this in a field today, has divots on each side directly across from each other, fits very nice in my hand.

 

[captain redbeard]

looks like a grinding tool of some sort, but not sure.

 

[Indian Steve]

Harder stones would be more likely to shatter or have chips fly off during use. Softer stones crumble a tiny bit at a time. Much safer to use and when used during knapping, the softer stone gets a better bite than a harder stone.

 

[GatorBoy]

The first two are from Tennessee

 

[rock]

Harder stones would be more likely to shatter or have chips fly off during use. Softer stones crumble a tiny bit at a time. Much safer to use and when used during knapping, the softer stone gets a better bite than a harder stone.

That makes sense on the chips from flint on flint. I found a spot in the field not long ago. It had 3 quartzite hammers and 1 big long piece of flint that didn't show and flakes removed. I guess they hadn't had time to start it. But what was cool about it is to think how many years it had been sitting there before I found them. Wish I had my camera that day.

 

[creekhunter]

 

[rock]

Nice display creekhunter. Do you have any ideas for the uses of these type of artifacts?

 

[Calgarychef]

Ok, speaking from a "bush craft" standpoint. A divot can be used as the top part (bearing block) of a bow drill to hold the stick (spindle) you're turning. Most often I think it would be highly polished from use AND because you don't want to wear out the spindle with a rough stone. Could it also be used to grind small amounts of herbs, ochre, etc? If it was a bow drill part I think it needs to be small light and portable.

That's all ive got...I'm sure others with more knowledge can add more.

 

[rock]

Ok, speaking from a "bush craft" standpoint. A divot can be used as the top part (bearing block) of a bow drill to hold the stick (spindle) you're turning. Most often I think it would be highly polished from use AND because you don't want to wear out the spindle with a rough stone. Could it also be used to grind small amounts of herbs, ochre, etc? If it was a bow drill part I think it needs to be small light and portable.

That's all ive got...I'm sure others with more knowledge can add more.

That's a good reason to me. The holes in the stones I find aren't real deep of course they are different sizes and depths. Thanks for giving your thoughts

 

[creekhunter]

Nice display creekhunter. Do you have any ideas for the uses of these type of artifacts?

We refer to them as nutting stones, the sites we find them at seem to have been long term occupation sites, probably full of Chestnuts before they all died off.

 

[rock]

We refer to them as nutting stones, the sites we find them at seem to have been long term occupation sites, probably full of Chestnuts before they all died off.

I find them on a lot of tools they used. Pestles, hammers, anvils, grinders (Manos) and cap stones for fire starting. Almost all of the tools I just listed are made out of Sandstone cobbles with the divots on them. Maybe nutting stones will be a different material if I find one. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

[rock]

Some show more use than others like these I found today. 1st not sure what is was used for. 2nd is a grinder with the dark spots showing use where they were grinding with it. 2nd one has shallow divots on it both sides.

 

[CheathamHill]

Could this be a couple? As noted in my new thread I have found 3 of these in creek over the last year.

Each has a finger "groove" and at least 1 other divot. Also I see a consistent 'glaze' that from research I've just been doing, is consistent with nuts and meats etc from grinding it or whatever.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Ok, speaking from a "bush craft" standpoint. A divot can be used as the top part (bearing block) of a bow drill to hold the stick (spindle) you're turning. Most often I think it would be highly polished from use AND because you don't want to wear out the spindle with a rough stone. Could it also be used to grind small amounts of herbs, ochre, etc? If it was a bow drill part I think it needs to be small light and portable.

That's all ive got...I'm sure others with more knowledge can add more.

If any of these had been used as a Cap Stone for a Bow Drill they would show lots of polish inside the divot and most that I have seen are usually very rough inside the divot. There is a new theory be bandied about that these were used to rough up the ends of Antler Billets used in the flaking process. A guy the excavated a Rock Shelter near Jackson Ohio has lots of the multiple holed very large examples and he said they found them all on one end of the shelter along with a Cache of Billets near by. I have seen it first hand and these Billets fit perfectly in the divot and the roughness inside does a good job of roughing up the ends so it would get a better bite when knapping.

 

[CheathamHill]

Sorry to keep harping.. I went back to look at these some more.. The fingers fit too perfectly for it to not be man made and serve a function. Especially since there is evidence of that blackened oil 'glaze' i've been reading about today on multiple research articles, thesis and web sites. Again, if I'm wrong please forgive me. But that is three total I've found all similar made of our local GA clay esp taking into account the smaller finger sizes

 

[Tnmountains]

I agree that they were used to roughen up antlers for grip when Knapping makes sense to me. We find them a among rock shelters when they would gather the nut harvest. Also find them in fields. I think some are lap stones or used like a third hand to hold an item. They probably served many more purposes. Archeologist are calling the divit or cup, cupulets. I think that is a new word.
Here a few I had posted on here some in context of rock shelters where I found them.