American Indian Grill

[100acre]

When I first volunteered as an archaeologist tech for the Pensacola Archaeology Lab back in 1993. My boss and mentor gave me these curious star and other shaped nodules of clay and told me that the Indians would create these to make a 'grill' by laying many on a bed of coals to keep the food from getting covered in ash and dirt. He had quite a few of the curious objects and many had fire 'staining'.They are from SE Alabama found during a study to find the lost site of Mauvila. It was my job to classify and catalog everything that came into the lab. Was a very cool job.
Where is Mauvila?

 

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[Indian Steve]

I saw some like them at Poverty Point Mound and was told that they were used for hot rock cooking. They were heated in a fire and dropped into pots of soup, etc. to heat the water. I have used heated rocks to cook in a deer stomach. Three would bring it to a boil fast and you could ad more as needed until soup was cooked.

 

[joshuaream]

I saw some like them at Poverty Point Mound and was told that they were used for hot rock cooking. They were heated in a fire and dropped into pots of soup, etc. to heat the water. I have used heated rocks to cook in a deer stomach. Three would bring it to a boil fast and you could ad more as needed until soup was cooked.

Yep, You hit the nail on the head.

Pottery is obviously fragile, and hanging a big pot filled with soup over a fire, puts even more stress on whatever kind of rim or handles you put on the pot. Make a hide bag and toss in hot rocks until it simmered (the stomach as you did, or skin any mid sized animal, tie knots in the legs and neck, and you have a relatively waterproof sack.) Later groups probably used basketry for this.

 

[100acre]

If they had been used as hot rocks, I don't see how they would've held together so well being made of clay. Stones make better sense for the hot rock idea...


Someone else had mentioned that they also may have been used to position pottery for firing..

 

[arrow86]

Neat if that is indeed what they are but I don't see how one could positively identify one.

 

[Indian Steve]

Most native made pots that I have seen were pointed at the bottom. You could position 3 or more rocks in the fire to hold the pot upright. Hide cooking pots could be used over open fires as long as there is liquid in the pot. Enough liquid soaks through the hide pot to keep it from burning. No liquid and it will shrivel up and eventually burn.

 

[redbeardrelics]

Are these objects made of stone of fired clay, I am totally unfamiliar with them, and can not tell from the pictures or description? Thank you.

 

[Mrtodd]

Maybe the clay was better for controlling the cooking temp

 

[100acre]

Neat if that is indeed what they are but I don't see how one could positively identify one.

When you have many falling out of a midden or in my case a box full in the lab, they all are about the same size and basic similar shapes.

 

[100acre]

Are these objects made of stone of fired clay, I am totally unfamiliar with them, and can not tell from the pictures or description? Thank you.

Clay.

 

[RGINN]

Pretty cool. How did your boss come to his conclusion about their use? Kinda similar to those ceramic 'charcoal' briquets' they have. They're a little small for boiling stones, but might be something you would carry with you if you travelled to an area where you weren't familiar with the quality of the local lithic material, because certain rocks will explode if you heat them in the fire. Interesting post.