Pestle
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From the Collection
Gray stone pestle used for grinding food, such as corn. Stone mortar and pestles were common during the Archaic Period in North America (around 8,000 years ago). By the time European colonists actively came to the Northeast by the seventeenth century, food processing tools were normally made out of wood. However, the longevity of stone ensured the continued use of the older tools, while smaller mortar and pestles, often made from marble, are not uncommon in kitchens today. Given their appearance, large stone pestles were often mistaken for clubs, which were instead made from a single piece of wood in the Northeast. This pestle was found on the Fletcher Farm off Depot Rd, Westford, prior to 1959.
N.2010.1.1