Double sided metate or.....?

[rebbel31]

I'm new to alot of the NA artifacts, but I love them. Found this on vacation on family farm in eastern NC. I think it's a grinding stone, we found 3 and an arrowhead. They often find them after plowing. I will post the others later. This one is intriguing as it seems functional on both sides. I don't think it's a "geofact" , but I'm no expert, so I'm here to ask the experts. What do you think?

 

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[Al D]

Those do not look right to me, maybe they are just a natural formation? I have seen some like that which were created by the action of flowing water on a round stone, as the stone wiggles, from the water, it wears a depression into the lower supporting rock.
still, they are cool finds

 

[RustyRelics]

I believe it is a metate of sorts.

 

[rebbel31]

Those do not look right to me, maybe they are just a natural formation? I have seen some like that which were created by the action of flowing water on a round stone, as the stone wiggles, from the water, it wears a depression into the lower supporting rock.
still, they are cool finds

It is the same rock. Both sides are indented.

 

[Saguache]

...no brainer! it is a two sided metate and pretty old...

 

[choo]

Yeah that's a metate & it's a nice one!

 

[Al D]

It is the same rock. Both sides are indented.

Then you definitely have a metate, very cool

 

[Tnmountains]

Almost everyone I have is worked on both sides. Very common. And that one is very nice!

 

[rebbel31]

Almost everyone I have is worked on both sides. Very common. And that one is very nice!

Cool I appreciate all the feedback and I'm glad it's real. I also found a quadruple metate, will post tomorrow.

 

[joshuaream]

Cool finds, those aren't common finds in many areas now a days.

 

[joshuaream]

Almost everyone I have is worked on both sides. Very common. And that one is very nice!

Interesting differences by geography. Most of mine from Northern Indiana are one sided. (They tend to be made on a thinner slab of limestone or sandstone.)

 

[ToddsPoint]

Interesting differences by geography. Most of mine from Northern Indiana are one sided. (They tend to be made on a thinner slab of limestone or sandstone.)

Ours are smaller. Some are one sided, some both sides. My hunting partner only brings home the double sided ones. I usually leave them...have a couple. Gary

 

[Tnmountains]

Just a guess but the heavily rimmed side would be a good surface for a bell pestle(grinding) and the other side which is more gradual would be suitable for a hammer stone(crushing nuts). I have never seen these in context in a burial or article. But I have found the hammer stone with them in overhangs just like they were left yesterday.
This is a special one for sure.

 

[joshuaream]

Just a guess but the heavily rimmed side would be a good surface for a bell pestle(grinding) and the other side which is more gradual would be suitable for a hammer stone(crushing nuts). I have never seen these in context in a burial or article. But I have found the hammer stone with them in overhangs just like they were left yesterday.
This is a special one for sure.

Yes, I was thinking it's probably task related. Our flat ones have a longer grinding basins and occasionally you find some well made long flat grinding stones, my guess is for grinding corn & seeds into meal/flour.

 

[Tnmountains]

I was thinking acorns they may not have had corn yet. Hickory nuts sure. We will never know though and that is what makes tools so interesting is the speculation.

 

[rebbel31]

Anyway to determine age? I assume not but maybe the design is period specific... either way I'm glad to have it and appreciate the feedback