Identification help please?

[two4hooking]

My grandfather found this on his farm and it was passed down to me. It looks like the shape of an axe/hawk/celt/hammer, but has no handle groove and instead has 2 shallow depressions near the center and mirrored on each side.

Wondering what it could be or if it was indeed a artifact.

Thanks in advance....

Greg

 

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[creekhunter]

We find stones with pecked out holes in the center, and they are referred to as "nutting stones" that might be what you have there, pretty neat!

 

[BagLady]

It's not a celt. A celt has a axe edge on one end.
I'm thinking pestle or grinding rock.
It's very nice.

 

[rock]

Could be a hand held mortar like for grinding paint for face paint.

 

[two4hooking]

closer pic:


The finger feels natural in the indent if I hold it this way:

 

[quito]

That second to last picture looks to show some use wear on the end. I wonder if it wasn't used for knapping.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I don't see any signs of it being altered by man. At least not in those pictures.

 

[two4hooking]

That second to last picture looks to show some use wear on the end. I wonder if it wasn't used for knapping.

To me it looks similar to this one on a previous thread of pecking stones in this forum posted by Charl:

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1287806&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1458500480

It does appear that the depressions on both sides are a bit shallower but they are mirrored in the exact spot on both sides so I have a hard time believing this was natural randomness.