Mortar and Pestle

From the collections of PVMA • Digital image © Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Assoc. • Image use information

About this item

Eastern Woodlands Native peoples used mortars and pestles to crush seeds, nuts, and other plants for food and medicines. This mortar and pestle are made of steatite, a kind of soapstone which is easier to shape than many other stones. Wooden mortars and pestles were also used but like other perishable materials, these were less likely to survive.

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Details

Item typeFood Processing Equipment
CreatorNative American
TopicNative American
Food, Cooking, Beverage, Alcohol
EraColonial settlement, 1620–1762
Early Indigenous and European contact, 1565–1619
MaterialStone/Mineral
Catalog #1985.0691
View this item in our curatorial database →
Native American. Mortar and Pestle. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1985-0691/. Accessed on December 7, 2024.

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