I would say no on the wooden matate.I don't see how a wooden surface would have had a rough enough surface texture for grinding purposes.Just my speculative opinon. Why did you find something intresting?
Those Manos are killer. I like camp stuff. You know they were used every day. We all like points but the camp stuff is good find. Keep the pics coming. For those of us diggers working in Chicago your postings are the best!
Those Manos are killer. I like camp stuff. You know they were used every day. We all like points but the camp stuff is good find. Keep the pics coming. For those of us diggers working in Chicago your postings are the best!
Just looking at the number of manos found versus the limited amount of matates.
It was my thought that maybe not all grinding surface were rock.
Just thinking outside the box.
Just looking at the number of manos found versus the limited amount of matates.
It was my thought that maybe not all grinding surface were rock.
Just thinking outside the box.
That may well be part of the explanation especially for the "nutting stone" base. A big piece of wood could serve just as well as the back of a stone metate.
Nother factor that occurs to me, The house frau might have prefered to use a clean area of bedrock that will be impossible to find. OR, make use of a
large suitable rock well off from the main camp that will never be excavated....
Last thought ( for this morn ) is that a matate would only be of value for part of the year when a particular crop was ripe for harvesting and eating.
Large quantities may be from winter camps where they were deliberately junked
as extra baggage, then plan to make new ones "next season"
. . . . . .
Well according to this article it seems wood could be used..although they are calling it a mortar not a metate.If you wade through the technical terms it's pretty intresting.
That is a good read, another reason for using wood for grinding in this specific area might be the lack of larger good quality rocks,here there is alot of Iron ore rocks that is somewhat soft. I have found one large matate which was made from schitkz (spelling?) very hard, which I believe the source was at least 3 miles away. Further to the east there maybe more sandstone available.
The most tasty flour/meal was seasoned while grinding on a good piece of mesqite or hickory!!