Stone tool identification?

[Bbmbr]

I love this rock ...you can see where there are grooves made for your fingers and its a perfect fit. But what is it? Found in Tuolumne Ca

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

What you are seeing is natural erosion, your pictures don't show any signs of it being used as a tool.

 

[Bbmbr]

No I don't think so. I'll add a couple more pics. Those groves were pecked in there.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Useful for smashing your fingers. Otherwise, why bother putting finger grooves in a rock? A plain rock would work just as well.

I don't believe it was man altered.

 

[Bbmbr]

True

 

[unclemac]

just about any rock can be turned and adjusted to fit in your hand perfectly...i love those, i even have some specific for lefties....but natural all the same. you have a tossed and tumbled river rock, smoothed by water action and then pounded later by some event.

 

[BosnMate]

Where did you find it? Were there other rocks around that look like it? Was is some place away from a stream, in conjunction with other artifacts. The reason I ask is because in Nevada, along the Carson River, they used metates with a mano stone, which was shaped by human hand. That said, they didn't look like yours, but they are a distinct shape. I'll show you a couple of pictures from my collection, and a couple of links to google images for metate and mano. ttps://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=prehistoric+grinding+stones&chips=qrehistoric+grinding+stones,online_chips:mano,online_chips:metate&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiP6pbq25nXAhWLxYMKHRy_AAQQ4lYIMygK&biw=1366&bih=588&dpr=1#imgrc=byCR7VnOYhPEEM: And: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&tbm=isch&q=prehistoric+grinding+stones&backchip=online_chips:mano&chips=qrehistoric+grinding+stones,online_chips:metate&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiuwtKB3JnXAhXC4IMKHaTmAlcQ4VYIJigB&biw=1366&bih=588&dpr=1

Both of those links show pretty much the same stuff. I wouldn't rule out what you have being a "mano." Here are a couple of pictures of my collection. The gas company dug a ditch for a pipe line across the ranch, and they uncovered lots of manos, and three or four metate's. I gave some to the local museum, and saved these for myself. The pictured metate and mano came from the ranch in Nevada. The bowls came from family property in California.



Looks like the one link didn't come through, just go to google images and search metate and mano. I see you found this in California. Where in Calif. I'd almost bet that you have a grinding stone or mano.

 

[Bbmbr]

Tuolumne county....yes I've found several artifacts in these areas.