Pitted stone

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

About this item

This is a “pitted” or “nutting” stone, used as a nutcracker or grinder. Nuts or seeds would be placed in the depression and then cracked or ground with a small round stone used as a hammer or grinder. This particular stone has pits on both sides. Other items such as pigments, plants, and berries were ground for use in medicinal remedies, dyes, and pigments. Native people used these for many thousands of years from about 6,000 to 300 years ago.

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Details

Item typeTools & Equipment
CreatorNative American
TopicNative American
EraEarly Indigenous and European contact, 1565–1619
MaterialStone/Mineral
Catalog #1985.0883
View this item in our curatorial database →
Native American. Pitted stone. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, American Centuries. https://americancenturies.org/collection/1985-0883/. Accessed on December 5, 2024.

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