Stone artifact found....ideas?

[jmginmd]

I am posting this for a friend at work. This item was found outside a barn dating to the mid 1800's. The location of the property is roughly the PA and MD state line. Obviously, we think it is an Indian artifact but we do not know exactly what it is. Any thoughts or ideas would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cannonman17]

Somebody already mentioned this but... is it made from a volcanic type stone or a hard stone? Most of the reproductions I have seen are made from volcanic materials and if it is real then I would expect it to be made from a type of rock found in that area.

 

[gollum]

Hey Guys,

Here's a metate from the site of an ancient Indian Village (my hgand is for scale):

Best,

Mike

 

[Oroblanco]

Dang Mike - COOL find! I bet THAT one was not hauled around from place to place!
Oroblanco

 

[gollum]

Nope! It's from a tribe called the Kumeya'ay. The ancient village is in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (nowhere near the pot shards). You can walk around it, and find pieces of the manos all over the place. They are easy to spot. Those metates are all over the place. Just about every large boulder with a semi flat spot on top has them.

Best,

Mike

 

[Angelo]

How about this one?

Note the small "lip" on the one posted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortar_and_pestle

 

[stefen]

As with Gollum comments, I know of several similar (4) large granite boulders that are set on the rim or side slopes of oak forested canyons in the mountain community of Idyllwild (above Palm Springs and northerly of Anza). Most are positioned such that they command very expansive views yet their backs are protected.

These were used by the Cahuilla Indians for grinding acorns.

Basically, this is an utilitarian object used by numerous cultures worldwide and may take many shapes depending on the local culture.